JAMESTOWN, Colo. -- A wildfire burning about 10 miles northwest of Boulder blew up Wednesday, forcing fire officials to order a mandatory evacuation of the areas of Jamestown, James Canyon Drive area near through the highway Left Hand Canyon and St. Vrain, 7NEWS reported.

OVERLAND FIRE IMAGES/VIDEO Slideshow: Watch Fire Grow Slideshow: Viewers' Pics of Overland Fire Jamestown Residents Return Home Strong Winds Spread Fire Local Residents React RESOURCES Evacuee Info: (303) 441-3938 Fire: (303) 440-8137 Air Quality Protect Lungs From Smoke INTERACTIVES Causes And Protections Colorado Red Zone map

Roughly 1,000 people were evacuated from area and about 1,800 others were advised to be prepared to evacuate.

Embers from the original fire, which started near Overland Road and county Road 87, were carried by high winds to another area about 4 miles east, where a second blaze erupted and then merged into a larger fire, fire officials confirmed.

The fire, which has been named the Overland Fire, is very volatile and growing with flames torching and leaping from treetop to treetop, and creating 100-foot flames in some places.

The blaze has grown to roughly 2,000 acres and threatens hundreds of homes.

"Right now, today, it's tough to predict which way this is going to go. This is a heavy populated area, we're real close to town," said Joe Pelle, Boulder County sheriff. "So we're treating this with kid gloves. We're worried about it right now."

Roughly 250 people who live in Jamestown were ordered to evacuate just before noon. Around 4 p.m., authorities used the reverse 911 system to evacuate residents in Left Hand Canyon and North St. Vrain. Those living in Crestview Estates were put on notice but have not been told to leave.

"One minute the fire was six miles away and the next minute the fire is a half-mile away and the sheriff is at my door," one resident said.

The Red Cross set up an emergency evacuation center at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont.

No injuries have been reported and no homes have been destroyed but several outbuildings have been burned, officials said.

Winds A Big Worry

Officials are most worried about the strong, unpredictable winds, which keep shifting, making it difficult for fire crews digging containment lines to maintain a constant position and make progress, 7NEWS reported.

About 100 firefighters and commanders from 10 agencies are at the scene and 200 more are being requested because authorities fear that heavy winds could increase to 50 mph and fan the flames out of control and across dry mountain slopes in the area, authorities said.

The area was under a high wind watch overnight. A gust of 70 mph was recorded in nearby Nederland, and a gust of 81 mph was recorded on Niwot Ridge, also in Boulder County. That's scheduled to continue through the day, in advance of an oncoming cold front. A high wind warning has also been issued for Clear Creek, Douglas, Gilpin, Grand, Jackson, Jefferson, Larimer, Park, Summit and Weld counties.

Residents said that strong winds overnight knocked over a power line and that is what sparked the fire. That has not been confirmed by officials.

Boulder Rural Fire Protection Agency Capt. Mike McNamara said that although Boulder County did send firefighters and fire engines to help with the California wildfires, the fire departments are not stripped and do have enough resources to fight the blaze.

However, the department is trying to hire a private helicopter to help out and make water drops because all of the available aircraft were dispatched to southern California to fight those infernos. However, because the winds were so high, there will be no air support over the fire until Thursday, authorities said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved a request from Gov. Bill Owens and the state Forest Service for federal resources to deal with the wildfire. Owens said he is also offered to dispatch National Guard helicopters if they are needed.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state's eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating, and controlling designated fires.

Early Evacuations

The Boulder County Sheriff's Office used reverse 911 Wednesday morning to alert residents in a 2-mile radius about the first fire. Some people who were closest to the fire, including some living near James Canyon Road, were ordered to clear out.

About 100 students from the Calwood Ranch Nature Education Camp and the Balarat Outdoor Education Center were also evacuated. Some students were bused back to their schools while other evacuees gathered at Jamestown Elementary School. Denver Public Schools, which operates the Balarat Outdoor Education Center, said that the 58 fifth-graders at the site were there on an overnight trip to learn environmental studies and outdoor skills.

"A neighbor came and told us that there was a fire below us and we drove down to see what was going on and we could see the flames right on the road," said Barbara Petruzzi, a Boulder County resident. "The flames are actually above Jamestown ... but the winds were blowing down towards Jamestown. It's got a little ways, but with the winds, you just don't know."

There are phone and power outages in the area but Xcel is working on repairs.

Road, School Closings

Overland Road above Jamestown was closed. The only access out of Overland Road is the Peak to Peak Highway, also known as Highway 72. Highway 36 at Neva Road is also closed.

Jamestown Elementary and Centennial Middle School in Boulder will be closed Thursday and all evening events and activities have been canceled, the Boulder Valley School District said. Jamestown Elementary is being cloed because the town has been evacuated and Centennial Middle is being used as a command center for emergency crews responding to the fire.

Smoke from the fire can be seen over the mostly pine-covered hills. This is the second brush fire in less then 24 hours in the Boulder area.

The fire, first discovered around 5 a.m., is burning on private and Forest Service land. Firefighting crews from Jamestown, Lefthand, Mountain View, Four Mile, Indian Peaks, Boulder Rural, Sugar Loaf, and Eldorado Springs Fire Protection District are at the scene, as are representatives from the Colorado State Forest Service and the U.S. Forest Service.

The Boulder County Sheriff's Office set up a hot line to provide area residents with information about the fire. The number to call is (303) 441-3938. The Longmont Humane Society is taking care of pets evacuated from the area. Call (303) 772-1232 for more information.

Related Information:

Boulder Valley School District
High Wind Advisories Issued

It Will Be Windy Today

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