Dozens of homes destroyed by Colorado wildfire

A fire marshal said early Tuesday that a wind-whipped wildfire destroyed dozens of homes as it sent flames roaring through a rugged canyon in the Colorado foothills.

Despite the fire’s quick and destructive advance, no injuries had been reported, although some residents told of narrow escapes.

Brett Haberstick of the Sunshine Fire Protection District sayid firefighters were waiting until sunrise to count the exact number of houses that have burned.

The blaze broke out Monday morning northwest of Boulder and rapidly spread across 5 1/2 square miles, or 3,500 acres. Erratic 45-mph gusts sometimes sent the fire in two directions at once.

Four of the houses that were lost belonged to firefighters battling the blaze, said Laura McConnell, a spokeswoman for the fire management team.

Video from KUSA-TV showed at least one home engulfed in flames.

About 100 firefighters were on the scene, and the winds calmed enough by late afternoon that three aerial tankers could start dropping fire retardant before darkness.

Some crews remained at the fire through the night.

At least a half-dozen roads in the area were closed, and a billowing, white plume of heavy smoke was visible for miles before sunset. County health officials advised residents to stay indoors if the smoky air became irritating.

The fire’s cause was unknown. Officials said it was too early to say how much, if any, of the fire was contained.

Boulder County sheriff’s Cmdr. Rick Brough said the fire moved quickly through difficult country.

“It’s very rocky, hilly, mountainous terrain,” he said.

One fire vehicle was destroyed in the blaze.

The Boulder County alert system malfunctioned for about two hours Monday afternoon, leaving authorities unable to send automatic calls telling residents to evacuate. Officials said it began working again later.

The Red Cross set up an overnight evacuation center at the Coors Events Center on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder.

A shelter for livestock was set up at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont.