NEDERLAND — Hundreds of foothills residents west of Boulder got a fresh scare Friday afternoon when they were told to evacuate because of a wildfire.
The Peewick Mountain fire broke out about 5 p.m., about 3 miles from last week’s Fourmile Canyon fire, which destroyed 166 homes.
Boulder County Sheriff’s Cmdr. Rick Brough said about 1,200 automated evacuation calls were sent out and about 465 homes were evacuated.
An evacuation center was set up at the Nederland Community Center, while 80 firefighters, backed up by aerial units dumping water and fire retardant, battled the blaze about 3 1/2 miles northeast of town.
At 7 p.m., officials announced that evacuees were being allowed to return to their homes. The 2- to 3-acre fire, initially listed at 10 acres, was contained by 9 p.m.
At the evacuation center, Howard Mills said he had been evacuated for the Fourmile Canyon fire as well.
“I was happy to have escaped the last one, and this one had me a bit scared,” he said.
Evacuee Tom Hughes said spirits remained high.
“You get a lot of mountain folks together and you know you are safe,” he said.
Brough said the fire danger in the area remained very high. Burning restrictions continue across much of the state, especially in the mountains, because of the extremely dry conditions.
Al Nelson, evacuated from his home near Ridge Road, is remaining vigilant.
“I’m not taking anything out of the car,” he said. “At least not tonight.”
Justin Dombrowski, a former Boulder firefighter and current response division director with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in California, told the Daily Camera that people should know their escape routes because the conditions in Colorado are extremely dangerous.
“Currently, the moisture in the vegetation is so extremely dry that it is like almost having firewood standing in the ground,” he said.
Elsewhere Friday:
• In southern Colorado, near the El Paso-Pueblo county line, blowing smoke from a series of small afternoon fires caused traffic problems on Interstate 25. Fire crews quickly extinguished the fires.
• A small grass fire near Green Mountain burned about an acre. The West Metro Fire Department said the 10 a.m. fire was in open space near West Sixth Avenue and Union Boulevard.
• A model aircraft sparked a small fire near Cherry Creek Reservoir.
