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Astonishing video shows day hikers fleeing wildfire in Boulder, Colorado
A sunny March Saturday turned into a nightmare for day hikers in the hills around Boulder, Colorado.
Around 2 p.m., a wildfire began near the National Center for Atmospheric Research above the bustling college town. The wildfire was fueled by wind earlier in the day and quickly grew to 122 acres with no containment, Boulder Fire-Rescue spokesperson Marya Washburn said. Authorities issued an evacuation order for 19,400 people — including hikers who parked near NCAR as a jumping off point to the many trails in the area.
One hiker, Ben Holden, captured astonishing footage of people hurrying back to the parking lot as the NCAR Fire grew.
“There must have been dozens, hundreds of people up there at the time,” Holden told 9News. “People were running down. In the video it looks like they are going towards the fire, but that’s not the case. That’s just where the trail goes toward the parking lot.”
“We were all scrambling to get out of there,” he added. “It was very dramatic.”
The fire is in an area where a blaze destroyed 1,000 homes last year in unincorporated Boulder County and suburban Superior and Louisville. Superior town officials told residents in an email that there were no immediate concerns for the community.
Winds and temperatures have died down, Washburn said, and conditions were improving Sunday morning. As of 9 a.m., the fire is at 200 acres and is 21% contained. Officials expect to be dealing with the fire for several days due to heavy fuels, said Boulder Fire-Rescue Wildland Division Chief Brian Oliver. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.