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Photos show the devastating Colorado wildfires that scorched up to 1,000 homes and displaced more than 35,000 residents

A house on fire in Colorado.
Two homes burn during a wildfire in the Centennial Heights neighborhood on December 30, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado.

  • Wildfires ripped through through Colorado on Thursday and Friday, scorching 6,000 acres of land and destroying up to 1,000 homes. 
  • No deaths have been reported as of Friday afternoon, according to Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.
  • Here’s a look at the devastating fires that caused thousands of residents to flee from their homes.   

Devastating wildfires ripped through Colorado on Thursday and Friday, scorching 6,000 acres of land and destroying up to 1,000 homes. 

The fires, which began on Thursday morning from what officials believe may have been a downed power line, spread rapidly into the suburbs of Denver and Boulder as the day progressed. Regional droughts and high-speed wind that reached more than 100 miles per hour exacerbated the blazes.

Officials on Friday said that there are no reported deaths at this time, although an estimated 35,000 residents were displaced from their homes as they fled to safety.

“We might have our very own New Year’s miracle on our hands if it holds up that there was no loss of life,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a press conference

Here’s a closer look at the damaging fires that have engulfed the state. 

The flames first began to spread Thursday morning, intensified by high-speed winds that reached upwards of 100 miles per hour.

A La Quinta hotel on fire in
Fire burns in bushes near a La Quinta hotel on December 30, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado.

The intensity of the fire came suddenly and unexpectedly, officials said. “In the blink of an eye, many families having minutes, minutes to get whatever they could, their pets, their kids into the car and leave,” Gov. Polis said on Friday.

A house on fire in Colorado.
Two homes burn during a wildfire in the Centennial Heights neighborhood on December 30, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado.

By late afternoon, flames had started to engulf suburban neighborhoods, demolishing homes in communities around Denver and Boulder.

A house ablaze in Colorado, caused by forest fires.
A house fully involved engulfed in flames on December 30, 2021 in Superior, Colorado.

The fires also wreaked havoc on several local businesses and companies.

Fires burn near a Tesla dealership in Colorado.
Fires burn near the Tesla dealership along McCaslin Blvd on December 30, 2021 in Superior, Colorado.

The towns of Superior and Louisville were fully evacuated as the wildfires picked up strength.

Fires ablaze behind a Town of Superior sign in Colorado.
Flames engulf homes as the Marshall Fire spreads through a neighborhood in the town of Superior in Boulder County, Colorado on December 30, 2021.

An estimated 35,000 residents total fled their homes on Thursday and Friday.

A person in silhouette observes the Colorado fires from their car.
Fire burns in neighborhoods on December 30, 2021 in Superior, Colorado

Authorities on Friday said the blaze was the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history.

A house covered in flames in Boulder, Colorado.
A home burns after a fast moving wildfire swept through the area in the Centennial Heights neighborhood of Louisville, Colorado on December 30, 2021.

Officials estimated that between 500 and 1,000 homes were destroyed as a result of the fires.

Smoldering fires in a community in Boulder, Colorado.
Fires burn near structures and homes in the historic downtown area on December 30, 2021 in Superior, Colorado.

Gov. Polis said a period of drought in the region had likely contributed to the spread to residential areas. “It wasn’t a wildfire in the forest, it was a suburban and urban fire,” he said on Friday.

A forest fire rages between two homes in Colorado.
A Christmas wreath hangs on the side of a house where fire creeps towards the back on December 30, 2021 in Superior, Colorado.

Sheriff Joe Pelle of Boulder County said on Friday that he estimated that the fire has burned 6,000 acres across the state.

A firefighter on the scene in Boulder, Colorado.
An Arvada firefighter walks back to the firetruck as a fast moving wildfire swept through the area in the Centennial Heights neighborhood on December 30, 2021 of Louisville, Colorado.

Though the cause has not yet been determined, officials said they believe the wildfires originated from a fallen power line.

An officer with smoke-filled skies behind him in Colorado.
An officer directs traffic out of neighborhoods on December 30, 2021 in Superior, Colorado.

Officials said a significant amount of the fire has been contained, and they expect snowfall forecasted for the region to help snuff out remaining blazes.

Smoke and flames in a community in Boulder, Colorado.
Fires burn near structures and homes in the historic downtown area on December 30, 2021 in Superior, Colorado.

Smoke from the fires left eerie yellow smoke hovering in the air of the Colorado suburbs affected.

Clouds of yellow smoke on Marshall Road in Louisville, Colorado.
A car makes its way down smoky, yellow skies along McCaslin Blvd on December 30, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado.

Some residents even tried to put out small scale blazes with water bottles.

Yellow smoke from forest fires in Colorado.
People try to put out fire along a median with water bottles in neighborhoods on December 30, 2021 in Superior, Colorado.

The fires continued into the evening on Thursday night and into Friday morning.

A wife and husband watch wildfires spread across the Colorado skyline.
Dr. Bonnie Abbott (L) embraces her husband George as they watch flames engulf homes as the Marshall Fire spreads through a neighborhood in the town of Superior in Boulder County, Colorado on December 30, 2021. –

An estimated 15,000 residents are currently without power across the state, according to outage trackers.

A house on fire in Colorado.
In response to Colorado’s request for federal support, the White House on Friday said that President Joe Biden would ensure “that every effort will be made to provide immediate help to people in the impacted communities.”

Colorado at night with forest fires lighting up the sky.
Embers fly through the air as fires continue to burn into the evening in neighborhoods on December 30, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado.

“The President is grateful to all of the first responders who have come to the aid of Colorado communities and families impacted by the fires,” The White House continued in its statement.

Colorado forest fires
Flames engulf homes as the Marshall Fire spreads through a neighborhood in the town of Superior in Boulder County, Colorado on December 30, 2021.

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