High winds blew through the Boulder area on Thursday, evacuating several thousand people. This western American state is in the throes of a historic drought.
Hundreds of homes destroyed, thousands evacuated: fierce fires broke out in the city of Boulder, Colorado on Friday, December 30. “We know that around 370 homes in Sagamore Subdivision have been destroyed. It is possible that 210 homes were destroyed in Old Town Superior, ”Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle told a news conference.
The city of Boulder, which has more than 100,000 inhabitants, is located about fifty kilometers from Denver, the capital of Colorado. This western American state is experiencing a historic drought that has greatly contributed to the spread of the flames. At least 648 hectares of vegetation burned in Boulder County. The fire also ravaged hotels and shopping centers.
Gusts of over 160 km / h were observed in some places, stoking the flames and complicating the work of the firefighters. "I would like to emphasize the scale and intensity of this fire and its presence in an area so densely populated, we would not be surprised if there were injuries or deaths", warned Joe Pelle. .
Winds up to 170 km / h
Thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate their homes on Thursday. These evacuations concerned in particular Louisville, a municipality of 20,000 residents. "If you're in the area, act quickly," Boulder County Emergency Services warned.
"Strong winds quickly spread the flames and all the planes are grounded," tweeted Jared Polis, the governor of this mountainous state where the Rockies meet the great plains. "Leave Louisville, your life is in danger," insisted the US meteorological services, reporting that a squall had reached nearly 170 km / h.
The 72-year-old rushed to his home in Superior to gather his things but was only able to save his car and the clothes he was carrying on his back. Her cat and dog died in the flames. "All that's left is ashes," he says of the house in which he lived for three decades. "It's a weird feeling to go from a situation where you have all the comforts you can get to one where you have absolutely nothing," he told The Denver Post.
Unprecedented fires
Like much of the American West, Colorado has been experiencing a period of drought for several years which has made the region more arid and vulnerable to fires.
If the latter are part of the natural climate cycle and allow vegetation to be cleared, thus reducing the spread of diseases within it, their amplitude is increasing.
With global warming, the intensity and frequency of periods of drought, which threatens in particular the food security of populations, may still increase even if the world manages to limit the rise in temperatures to + 1.5 ° C compared to in the pre-industrial era.
Rising temperatures and increasing heat waves and droughts create ideal conditions for forest or bush fires.
In recent years, the American West has experienced unprecedented fires, particularly in California and the state of Oregon.