Colorado wildfire near Boulder prompts evacuation for 8,000 homes
By Andy Rose, CNN
A wildfire near Boulder, Colorado, prompted an evacuation warning for nearly 20,000 people Saturday evening.
“Evacuation areas include 19,000 people and 8,000 homes,” the Boulder Office of Emergency Management tweeted.
The NCAR Fire broke out Saturday afternoon. It was just 123 acres by Saturday evening, but not contained at all, officials said. Several roads and highways near the fire were closed, according to officials.
“The state has deployed two firefighting aircraft, including a single-engineer tanker and Type 2 helicopter, and stands ready to assist with the response,” said Gov. Jared Polis in a statement. “We will continue to monitor this evolving situation.”
In a tweet, city officials noted the East Boulder Community Center would serve as an overnight shelter and mental health professionals were deployed to provide support for those evacuated.
Officials also encouraged people to call the Colorado State Mental Health Crisis Line at 1-844-493-8255 if needed.
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CNN’s Melissa Alonso contributed to this report.
