BOULDER, Colo.- Hundreds of people evacuated during one of Colorado’s most destructive wildfires returned to their scorched homes Sunday, just as residents about 35 miles to the northeast fled houses threatened by another fast-moving blaze.
By sundown, the second fire had destroyed at least one Loveland-area home while threatening other structures. It burned about 600 acres, or just under a square mile, forcing authorities to pull some resources from the Boulder fire.
Meanwhile, firefighters in Boulder – surrounded by the dreary sight of burnt trees, burned-out vehicles and uneven patches of blackened ground – inched closer to fully containing the blaze that has burned 10 square miles. Authorities continued to investigate what sparked the fire.
A senior law enforcement official familiar with the investigation told The Denver Post that authorities are looking into whether a fire pit was the cause, which could mean criminal charges are possible. The newspaper did not name the official.