Boulder County firefighting crews had a new wildfire near Peewink Mountain under control tonight and expected it to be fully contained by 9 p.m.
The 10-acre fire is about 3.5 miles northeast of Nederland.
The fire is south and west of the area burned by the Fourmile Canyon fire.
Authorities said about 465 homes were evacuated and about 1,200 phone numbers received automated calls. At 7 p.m., officials announced that evacuees were being allowed to return to their homes.
According to the Boulder County emergency services website, Cold Springs, Ridge Road and San Anton mountain subdivisions were told to evacuate. The perimeter of the evacuation area was from Sugarloaf Road to Switzerland Park Road, east to Boulder Canyon, Boulder Canyon west to Peak to Peak Highway, and Peak to Peak North to Sugarloaf Road.
An evacuation center was opened at the Nederland Community Center at 750 Colorado Highway 72.
Air support firefighting equipment was dropping water and fire retardant on the blaze.
Justin Dombrowski, a former Boulder firefighter and current response division director with FEMA in California, told the Daily Camera conditions in Colorado are very dangerous, and people should be prepared to evacuate and know their escape routes.
“Currently, the moisture in the vegetation is so extremely dry that it is like almost having firewood standing in the ground,” he said.
