More than 30,000 people evacuated as wildfires rip through Colorado, US

Colorado’s Governor Jared Polis declared a state of emergency due to grass fires created by high winds across the Front Range.

The declaration allows the state to access disaster emergency funds to support the emergency response efforts in Boulder and provide state resources including the use of the Colorado National Guard, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control and activation of the State Emergency Operations Center.

There have been no reports of missing people or fatalities yet. However, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said that he would not be surprised if there were injuries or fatalities resulting from the wildfires. He also added that more than 500 structures had been destroyed in the fires that quickly swept across the region as winds gusted up to 105 mph.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, as of July 1, 2021, at least 32,860 acres (13,300 ha) of land have burned in at least 337 wildland fires across the state. (ILKHA)