Wildfire southwest of Boulder forces evacuations

About 19,000 Colorado residents were ordered to evacuate Saturday due to a fast-moving wildfire near the site of a destructive 2021 blaze. The wildfire had grown to 123 acres by late afternoon with no containment. Evacuation orders covered 8,000 homes.

Protected wildland is burning near the Table Mesa neighborhood and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. University of Colorado Boulder Police were evacuating the south campus and police blocked westbound traffic on roads near the blaze.

There was no immediate information on the cause of the blaze. The skies were clear and the temperature was about 73 degrees with wind at about 25 miles per hour.