Evacuations lifted in NCAR Fire

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BOULDER, Colo. — A wildfire broke out March 26 near the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in southwestern Boulder.

The Boulder Fire Department is fighting the fire, which is being called the NCAR fire. The Boulder Police Department first tweeted about the fire around 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Officials said cell phones within a 1/4-mile radius of the NCAR facility received emergency alerts about the wildfire.

About 1,200 people were told to evacuate in the immediate aftermath of the fire, but the evacuation area quickly expanded to include most of the Table Mesa and Martin Acres neighborhoods of southwestern Boulder. People hiking near the NCAR facility were also instructed to evacuate.

The Boulder Office of Emergency Management set up an evacuation center at East Boulder Community Center (5660 Sioux Drive). Pets are welcome.

Follow the Boulder Police Department and NWS Boulder on Twitter for updates.

The NCAR fire started about three months after the Marshall Fire, which destroyed over 1,000 homes in Boulder County beginning Dec. 30, 2021.

Since the Marshall Fire, Boulder County has had its wettest start to a year in terms of snowfall (about 75 inches), according to BoulderCAST Weather.

Around 4 p.m. Saturday, BoulderCAST Weather meteorologists recorded wind gusts of up to 30 mph near the scene of the NCAR Fire. Wind gusts during the Marshall Fire, for comparison, reached 100 mph.

Around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Governor Jared Polis said firefighting aircraft were on their way to the NCAR Fire. Those planes were not an option during the Marshall Fire because of the strong winds.

The billowing smoke of the NCAR Fire could be seen from the ruins left behind in the Marshall Fire.

U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, a Boulder County democrat, encouraged people to follow evacuation orders.

This is a breaking news story that will be updated.


Kyle Cooke is the digital media manager at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach him at kylecooke@rmpbs.org.