The voracious fire that devastated entire neighborhoods in Colorado and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people this Thursday "was not a forest fire" but "urban", destroyed half a thousand homes and affected about 2,000, but did not cause any deaths , as indicated this Friday by the governor, the democrat Jared Polis, at a press conference.
Although the investigation into the origin of the fire is ongoing, the authorities "suspect" that
the fire was caused by power lines
that caught fire in dry areas due to a historic drought aggravated by the climate emergency.
"The last 24 hours have been devastating,"
said Polis, adding that the president, Joe Biden, has approved the emergency declaration so that those who suffered losses, such as businesses and homeowners, do not have to wait for the preliminary assessment of the damage so they can start rebuilding their lives.
"It feels like a nightmare," Polis lamented.
The fire continues to burn a fence near the remains of houses burned by fires that swept through a development near Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, in Superior, Colorado.
David Zalubowski / AP
So far
no fatalities have been reported,
although at least seven people were injured, including a member of the emergency teams.
A person reported missing was located and is in good condition.
"As soon as possible the residents will be able to return to their homes," said the governor.
The authorities ordered the water to be boiled for consumption as it runs the risk of being contaminated.
The fire burned 6,000 acres in a few hours with winds of more than 105 miles per hour.
Most of the bulbs have been contained, but firefighters continue to smother the last active debris.
At least 2,000 houses were burned and 500 were destroyed, as well as a hotel and a shopping center on the outskirts of Denver.
About 30,000 people had to be evacuated Thursday night and are beginning to progressively return home.
Now three to six inches of snow are expected to fall, which will help put out the last remnants of the fire.
In Louisville, intensive care, neonatal intensive care and emergency patients were evacuated from Avista Adventist Hospital but surgical patients had to stay in place and seek shelter.
Most of Boulder County is experiencing extreme or severe drought, according to the agency charged with monitoring droughts in the country.
Experts warn that one of the causes of the increasingly intense forest fires in the west of the country is climate change.