Firefighters in the air and on the ground battled a 122-acre wildfire that broke out near the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder on a windy Saturday afternoon, threatening neighborhoods on the southwestern edge of the city and forcing more than 19,000 people to evacuate.
The wildfire, which came less than three months after the deadly Marshall fire burned more than 1,000 homes in Boulder County, had not destroyed any structures or led to any injuries by Saturday evening, authorities said.
Firefighters had not achieved any containment, but by nightfall were expressing optimism that a shift in the weather would bring favorable conditions overnight. Officials hoped to be able to lift some evacuations later Saturday night.
Winds were expected to die down overnight, with relative humidity increasing and temperatures dropping — all weather characteristics that will help the fire to clam down, said Brian Oliver, wildland division chief with Boulder Fire Rescue.
