Thousands flee US towns over fast-spreading wildfires (VIDEOS)

Wildfires fueled by strong winds have triggered evacuation orders for multiple towns in northern Colorado, with a thick wall of smoke seen sweeping through the area as some reportedly remain trapped in their homes.

The fast-moving fires led Boulder County to evacuate tens of thousands of residents on Thursday, with gusts in excess of 100 miles per hour helping feed the blaze.

The town of Superior, made up of some 13,000 residents, was the first to clear out on orders from the county’s Office of Emergency Management, followed by Louisville, a city just north of Superior with a population of more than 21,000.

Footage and photos circulating online showed a vast cloud of smoke and dust enveloping the area, as well as the evacuation in progress, with some cars seen stuck in traffic as skies turned an eerie orange. The high winds could also be heard in some videos.

A massive plume of ash could be seen on radar images shared by the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Boulder branch, giving some idea of the scale of the flames. The service deemed the situation “life threatening.”

“Multiple structures” caught fire as the blaze made its way through Boulder County, according to Wildfire Today, which also reported that some residents are unable to leave their homes, though offered few details.

The emergency office activated earlier in the day after downed power lines ignited fires in several areas, local media reported. Though two towns were given formal evacuation orders, the office told all residents in the area to “leave immediately” if they “see fire.”

Local weather forecasts suggest that wind speeds will remain high throughout Thursday but will likely slow over night, while the NWS has issued a winter storm warning for the coming days, predicting heavy snows of between 12 and 24 inches across parts of northern Colorado.

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