An 18-acre, wind-blown wildfire in Sunshine Canyon has forced evacuations in the Boulder County foothills and warnings for some residents within the western city limits of Boulder to be ready to flee.

The fire, which started within a structure in the 2900 block of Sunshine Canyon Drive, spread to nearby wildland, according to emergency radio traffic. That prompted mandatory evacuations in Pine Brook Hills and the area west of Foothills Community Park.

An evacuation warning also was issued to the area of west Boulder between Linden Avenue and University Avenue, the Boulder Office of Emergency Management announced on Twitter.

Sunshine Canyon and Linden Avenue/Drive are both closed at the base of the canyon.

The wildland portion of the fire is being referred to as the Sunshine Wildland Fire, while a separate set of firefighters are dealing with the original structure fire.

The map of the evacuation area can be found at member.everbridge.net.

Boulder open space rangers are attempting to locate hikers in the area, and anyone recreating in the Mount Sanitas area is asked to evacuate the area.

The East Boulder Community Center, 5660 Sioux Drive, will open at 5:30 p.m. as the evacuation site for anyone needing services.

Evacuees can take large animals to the Boulder County Fairgrounds at 9595 Nelson Road in Longmont and smaller animals to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley at 2323 55th St. in Boulder.

Daily Camera staff writer Mitchell Byars contributed to this report.

Source: Read Full Article