Smoke rises from a fire burning south of NCAR in Boulder, Colo., as seen from Chautauqua Park, Friday, July 12, 2024. A helicopter goes in to make a water drop on the Dinosaur Fire burning south of NCAR in Boulder, Colo., Friday, July 12, 2024. A helicopter goes in to make a water drop on the Dinosaur Fire burning south of NCAR in Boulder, Colo., Friday, July 12, 2024. Smoke rises from a fire burning south of NCAR in Boulder, Colo., as seen from Chautauqua Park, Friday, July 12, 2024.
The fire started late Friday morning in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near Boulder and had burned just a few acres by early afternoon, Boulder police said. The National Center for Atmospheric Research office was closed as a precaution. The Boulder Office of Disaster Management said that while no evacuation orders were in place, people who might need help evacuating or would have to transport medical equipment should start preparing in case they are asked to leave.Fire crews with aerial support were battling the blaze.
Some areas of Colorado, particularly the Front Range mountains and foothills, started the year as the wettest on record, but they have since dried out considerably, said Russell Danielson, meteorologist for the National Weather Service forecast office in Boulder. From his office, he can see smoke from the Dinosaur Fire burning a mile away.
“We are at record highs for this time of year, and we also have very low humidity,” he said, which means dry vegetation can easily catch fire. Fortunately, he said, the wind wasn’t much of a factor on Friday.Wildfire risk rises as Western states dry out amid protracted heat waveThe National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the Boulder area, forecasting temperatures to rise above 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday and through the weekend, contributing to the elevated fire risk.