Colorado Ravaged by 'Most Destructive' Wildfires in State's History

The string of wildfires that hit the state has brought unprecedented destruction to the region's infrastructure. Around 30,000 people were evacuated from the city of Louisville and the town of Superior before the communities were hit by the Marshall Fire, which destroyed 500 houses and over 25 square kilometres of land by New Year's Eve.

The blazes reached an unprecedented level, with Steve Fenberg, Colorado Senate Majority Leader, calling the Marshall Fire “the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history”.

Strong winds of up to 105 mph (185 km/h) are fanning flames across the state amid a historic drought.

So far, the most powerful wildfire in Colorado history was the 2013 fire, in which 511 homes were burned and destroyed.

Have a look at the consequences of the wildfires in Sputnik's gallery.

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A home burns after a fast moving wildfire swept through the Centennial Heights neighbourhood of Louisville, Colorado on 30 December 2021. State officials estimate that some 600 homes have already been lost in multiple areas around Boulder County; the fires were fuelled by winds that gusted upwards of 100 miles per hour at times during the day.

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Cathy Glaab reacts upon seeing the ruins of her home, which burned yesterday, and is comforted by her daughter Laura Glaab in Superior, Colorado, on Friday, 31 December 2021.

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A Boulder County neighbourhood smoulders after it was was destroyed by a wildfire in this aerial photo, taken from a Colorado National Guard helicopter during a flyover by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Friday, 31 December 2021.

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Firefighters work after wind-driven wildfires prompted evacuation orders, near Boulder, Colorado, 30 December 2021.

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Snowmen stand beside the remains of a deck and a home in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire on 31 December 2021 in Louisville, Colorado. The fast-moving, wind-driven fire that erupted Thursday in multiple spots around Boulder County forced some 30,000 people out of their residences and may have destroyed as many as 1,000 homes.

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Houses are engulfed in flames as the Marshall Fire spreads in Superior, Colorado, 30 December 2021.

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A woman cries as she sees the smouldering ruins of a home destroyed by the Marshall Wildfire in Louisville, Colorado, Friday, 31 December 2021.

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A firefighter cuts holes into a burning shipping container to spray water inside from different angles, a day after evacuation orders, in Louisville, Colorado, 31 December 2021.

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A general view shows wind-driven grass fires burning in Superior, Colorado, US, 30 December 2021 in this screen grab taken from drone footage obtained from social media. Video taken with a drone 30 December 2021.

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Linda Jackson stands in front of the remains of her two-story home, which was consumed during the Marshall Fire in Louisville, Colorado, 31 December 2021.

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The interior of a damaged car is pictured, a day after wind-driven wildfires prompted evacuation orders, in Superior, Colorado, US 31 December 2021.

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A worker walks past a destroyed home in Louisville, Colorado, on Friday, 31 December 2021.