Authorities in the US state of Colorado say a violent, wind-driven wildfire has destroyed hundreds of homes in and around two towns.
According to Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle, the rapidly growing prairie grass fire is suspected of being started by sparks from downed power lines and transformers on Colorado's drought-stricken Front Range.
The town of Superior, with a population of around 13,000, and the adjacent municipality of Louisville, with more than 18,000, received evacuation orders on Thursday, the Boulder County emergency management office stated on Twitter.
Separately, the Boulder office of the National Weather Service tweeted: "All Superior under an Evacuation ORDER. LEAVE NOW!"
Mr. Pelle told reporters that the fire had consumed an estimated 650 hectares and damaged hundreds of dwellings within hours.
He stated that 370 homes were destroyed west of Superior, and 210 homes were destroyed in Superior's Old Town neighborhood and other residences in the vicinity. Officials reported that a shopping mall and hotel in Superior were damaged.
Governor Jared Polis described the blaze as a "force of nature" as flames consumed regions the size of football fields in a matter of seconds.
Mr. Pelle stated that the fire's quick advance was impossible to halt due to gale-force winds. Fire and rescue services were "essentially running before this just trying to get people out of the way. That's all you can do," he stated.
He stated that tens of thousands of residents in the vicinity had been evacuated.
The sheriff stated that he had received no fatalities or missing person reports.
In Denver, approximately 32 kilometers to the south, a towering column of smoke from the wildfire could be seen.
The National Weather Service reported wind gusts of high to 177 kilometers per hour in Boulder.
Authorities said that wind speeds were expected to decrease on Friday, allowing firefighters to get ahead of the flames and deploy water-dropping helicopters and aircraft tankers.
The fire on the fringes of the Denver metropolitan area, which has been left bone dry by eastern Colorado's severe drought, comes on the heels of several days of heavy snow in the Rocky Mountains to the west.
On Friday, Denver and eastern Colorado are expected to see snow.
