UPDATE: The Sunshine Wildland Fire is 100% contained, the Boulder County Office of Emergency Management announced Wednesday. All evacuation warnings and road closures have been lifted.
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. – Mandatory evacuation orders were downgraded Tuesday evening to evacuation warnings as containment of the 19-acre Sunshine Wildland Fire grew to 65%.
Re-entry to the areas previously under evacuation order began at 6 p.m. Individuals who return to the area may see smoke and small flare ups of the fire, but should only call 911 if they see fire moving, fire officials said.
An estimated 457 residents were forced from their homes between Sunshine and Twomile canyons Monday afternoon after a structure fire quickly developed into what is now a 19-acre wildfire, according to the Boulder Office of Emergency Management.
At least one home along the 2900 block of Sunshine Canyon Drive was lost to the flames and another on Bristclecone Way sustained damage, officials said in an update Tuesday afternoon.
The Sunshine Wildland Fire is burning west of the City of Boulder on or near Mount Sanitas.
“We were told to leave immediately and I packed up whatever I could and got out of there,” said Josephine Wiedeman, a Boulder County resident who was forced to evacuate her home due to the wildfire.
Vinnie Montez, a commander with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, told Denver7 Monday night the weather and cold temperatures were helping roughly 200 firefighters battle the blaze. As of Tuesday morning, 60 firefighters are battling the wildfire.
The Boulder County Fairgrounds is open for large animal evacuation. The Humane Society of Boulder Valley is taking small animal evacuations. The evacuation center at the East Boulder Community Center, located at 660 Sioux Drive, closed late Monday night.
A red flag warning will be in place on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and winds will likely increase during this time which can cause increased fire behavior, Boulder OEM said.