A grass fire broke out in the Denver metro area on Wednesday, February 25, prompting the shutdown of a major interstate and forcing evacuations in one suburb, according to officials. The Thornton Police Department said that Interstate 25 was closed in both directions between Thornton Parkway and 84th Avenue.
THORNTON, Colo. – Four firefighters and one civilian were injured after a grass fire erupted in Thornton, Colorado, prompting the emergency evacuation of a neighboring high school that sat feet from the burning blaze and the temporary closure of a major highway outside Denver.
A vegetation fire broke out quickly at around 11:30 a.m. in the area of Huron Street and 84th Avenue during red-flag conditions with significant winds and extremely dry conditions that have plagued the Denver metro area, prompting a hefty response of roughly 150 firefighting personnel to the scene that sat on the same plot of land as businesses, homes and a school.
A grass fire broke out in the Denver metro area on Wednesday, February 25, prompting the shutdown of a major interstate and forcing evacuations in one suburb, according to officials. The Thornton Police Department said that Interstate 25 was closed in both directions between Thornton Parkway and 84th Avenue.
The fire spread rapidly, burning between a neighborhood and businesses, and burned a total of 10 acres before a coalition of regional fire departments and first responders contained the blaze by 2:30 p.m.
“The outcome of this fire, as challenging as it was, I would like to highlight, we lost no residential structures as a result of this fire,” Thornton Fire Chief Kelley said in a press conference, adding that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
FLORIDA WILDFIRE EXPLODES TO 25,000 ACRES, WITH SOME RELIEF ON THE WAY FOR HISTORIC DROUGHT
While no residential structures were lost, several businesses sustained damage from the fire, Chief Kelley said, though he said it doesn’t appear that any businesses sustained structural damage.
Video footage from the scene captured several cars engulfed in flames in the back parking lot of one of the businesses impacted.
According to Chief Kelley, all five injuries sustained from the fire are not critical.
VICIOUS 70 MPH WINDS, WARM TEMPERATURES FUEL EXPLOSIVE WILDFIRE RISK ACROSS EIGHT STATES IN THE PLAINS
The raging fire threatened Pinnacle Charter High School, a neighboring school that backs up to the vegetation that started. The school was swiftly evacuated when the fire broke out. According to Chief Kelley, students will be returning to the school for classes on Thursday.
A fire broke out in Thornton, Colorado, and burned approximately 10 acres of vegetation pictured above, before a coalition of regional fire crews contained the blaze. The grass fire spread rapidly during red-flag conditions, and threatened a neighborhood to the North and a row of businesses to the South. A local high school sat downwind from the fire and did not sustain any damage. While no residential structures sustained damage, several businesses did.
(Google Maps)
While the rapidly spreading blaze burned, law enforcement went door-to-door and evacuated a nearby neighborhood threatened by the fire and several roads in the area were closed.
Due to smoke conditions, the fire caused the temporary closure of Interstate 25.
VIDEO: LIGHTNING STRIKE CAUSES WIND TURBINE FIRE IN TEXAS
“The fire is contained, and crews are continuing to work hotspots to ensure we have the fire completely out. The Fire Department will have crews on scene overnight tonight to ensure that we don’t have any rekindles or any change in conditions,” Thornton Fire Chief Stephen Kelley said.
A temporary shelter has been established at a local recreation center, and housed residents evacuated by the fire. Chief Kelley said numerous roads will remain closed as suppression efforts continue.
“To the community, I appreciate very much the rapid response from our residents to evacuate the neighborhood, so our crews could get in the area and perform fire suppression operations. This was a dynamic, rapidly spreading event that challenged many of the departments in the North area [near the neighborhood],” Chief Kelley said.
Smoke from the fire, captured in a photo from afar, caused the temporary closure of Interstate-25.
(Thornton Police Department)
Red flag fire danger
Thorton, and a massive swath covering the Denver-Metro area, is under a Red Flag Fire Weather Warning issued by the National Weather Service.
A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will in the near future, and is issued based on a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures that contribute to extreme fire behavior exhibited in Thornton this morning.
‘RED FLAG WARNING’: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
According to the Red Flag Warning advisory issued across much of the Denver-Metro area including Thornton, sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph, with gusts up to 55 mph, are expected throughout the day Wednesday.
“These are conditions that we continue to face on a daily basis here on the front range, the results and this kind of fire spread,” Chief Kelley said.
