Small wildfire leads to precautionary evacuation of climate change research facility in Colorado

BOULDER, Colo. — A small wildfire started Friday on a trail near a Colorado facility where scientists research climate change, including worsening wildfires, leading officials to evacuate the building.

The fire started late Friday morning in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near Boulder and had burned just a few acres by early afternoon, Boulder police said. The National Center for Atmospheric Research office was closed as a precaution.

The Boulder Office of Disaster Management said that while no evacuation orders were in place, people who might need help evacuating or would have to transport medical equipment should start preparing in case they are asked to leave.

Several hiking trails in the area were also closed.

Fire crews with aerial support were battling the blaze.

Some areas of Colorado, particularly the Front Range mountains and foothills, started the year as the wettest on record, but they have since dried out considerably, said Russell Danielson, meteorologist for the National Weather Service forecast office in Boulder. From his office, he can see smoke from the Dinosaur Fire burning a mile away.

“We are at record highs for this time of year, and we also have very low humidity,” he said, which means dry vegetation can easily catch fire. Fortunately, he said, the wind wasn't much of a factor on Friday.

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the Boulder area, forecasting temperatures to rise above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) on Friday and through the weekend, contributing to the elevated fire risk.

“We want to make sure people aren’t out there creating sparks with anything they do,” he said.