BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — The Front Range was under high fire danger Tuesday as extremely dry weather and high winds created perfect conditions for wildfires to spread rapidly.
A fire weather watch went into effect a day after a grass fire that sparked between Broomfield and Louisville on Monday afternoon demonstrated just how quickly small fires can become major threats. The blaze, ignited by a spark from a combine, spread 35 acres across a cornfield near Dillon Road and South 104th Street.
Dashcam video from North Metro Fire showed winds whipping flames and smoke across roadways as firefighters worked to contain the fire.
The flames forced evacuation orders, including at a nearby horse stable.
Jimmy Shviraga and Michelle Plonus, the owners of CloudView Stables, said they had to evacuate 45 horses from their property on Monday afternoon. Thanks to help from people in the horse community, they said they were able to get all the animals out safe.
"When you can see flames so close to your barn, you know you have to act quick," said Plonus. "We had our horses all evacuated within like two and a half hours."
The two said the last time they had to evacuate their barn was during the Marshall Fire.
"So this is round two for us as far as wildfires go," said Shviraga.
Paul Ostroy, the fire management officer for Mountain View Fire Rescue, said the 35-acre fire was more challenging to fight because of hay stacks on fire.
"Haystack fires are a little different in their, in the way that they are kind of conformed," said Ostroy. "The fire can stay interior within the pile and make it very difficult to find where it's at."
As firefighters faced another day of dangerous conditions, Ostroy explained how crews prepare for red flag warning days with lower humidity, higher temperatures, and strong winds.
"It doesn't just start from this morning. This has started way earlier on, knowing that these events are going to happen, talking with the National Weather Service, planning our staffing here locally," said Ostroy. "We've definitely seen a little bit more drying trend and warming trend, where our catastrophic incidents have been a little bit greater in their intensity."
He said on windy days, firefighting strategies may shift from offensive to defensive approaches.
"Strong winds do create havoc on the wildland fire scenario," said Ostroy. "As much as we want to fight the fire in front of us, sometimes we have to look in advance and plan farther ahead."
Instead of attacking fires directly, crews may retreat to protect homes and businesses as their priority.
Fire officials are reminding residents that outdoor burning, fireworks and grilling are not allowed during these dangerous conditions. They're also asking people to avoid using chainsaws, weed whackers and lawnmowers that could create sparks and lead to fires.
