Dome wildfire: Update about evacuation order, progress in fighting Boulder blaze (PHOTOS)

Photo by Boyd Fletcher

Dome fire near Boulder.

Update: City of Boulder officials have announced that the evacuation order for many residents put in place due to the Dome fire will be lifted at 10 a.m. today -- a very good sign.

Some info about the continuing fight is also contained in this release:

City to lift evacuation order at 10 a.m. today

All mandatory evacuations of city neighborhoods in west Boulder will be lifted at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30. All residents and business owners west of 7th Street from Canyon Boulevard on the south to North Street on the north are welcome to return to their properties starting at that time.

Fire crews are still battling active fire west of the city. City residents in west Boulder neighborhoods can anticipate fire equipment in the area throughout the day. Residents may notice firefighting teams from other jurisdictions assisting with this effort.

Open Space and Mountain Parks trails in the evacuation zone will remain closed, and firefighters are asking for the public's cooperation in staying off the trails and out of the area for recreational purposes.

The Dome wildfire originated near Dome Rock on City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks property on Friday, Oct. 29.

"On behalf of the city and emergency responders, we would like to thank the community for its cooperation and continued versatility during this event," said City Manager Jane S. Brautigam. "We appreciate the diligent and exhaustive efforts of all of the responding firefighters."

The North Boulder Recreation Center, 3170 Broadway, has resumed normal operations and class schedule today. Adult classes were canceled on Friday due to health concerns related to the smoke.

The city encourages residents to remain alert and monitor local news and Emergency Operations Center updates for any changing information. For the most up-to-date information from emergency officials, visit www.boulderoem.com/emergency-status.

Update, 9:28 p.m. October 29: The City of Boulder has announced that evacuation orders for a portion of the community due to the Dome fire will be maintained overnight -- and police patrols will be beefed up in an effort to prevent criminals from taking advantage.

Here are the details in a city release:

City maintains evacuations throughout the night, police will patrol area

The City of Boulder will maintain the mandatory evacuations for all businesses and residences west of 7th Street from Canyon Boulevard on the south to North Street on the north throughout the night and until further notice.

A strong police presence will be maintained in the area to ensure evacuation compliance and to patrol all neighborhoods for potential criminal activity.

The evacuation center established at the Coors Event Center, located on the University of Colorado Boulder campus, will be closed at 8 p.m. A new shelter will be opened at 7 p.m. at the East Boulder Community Center, 5660 Sioux Drive. This facility will offer overnight accommodations for people displaced by the fire and resulting evacuations.

"I know this is difficult news for residents who had hoped to return home this evening, but fire officials tell us this is necessary to ensure public safety, which remains our top priority," said City Manager Jane S. Brautigam. "We'd like to assure residents that we are doing all we can to protect their property and will continue to monitor the fire situation carefully."

The Dome wildfire originated near Dome Rock on City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks property.

And here are the most recent fire stats:

101/29, 8 p.m. Dome Fire overnight status

The fire is 144 acres in size.

60 firefighters, which includes three hand crews, will be working the fire overnight and building fire line for containment.

Tomorrow, 200 firefighters will work the fire and a single-engine air tanker and one helicopter will be flying fire suppression sorties.

Update, 4:58 p.m.: Here are maps of the burn area and evacuation zones as of this writing:

The first map shows the fire and the evacuated areas; the second depicts the same but without aerial overlays.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

In addition, Xcel has shut off natural gas to the Knollwood subdivision. Here's that information:

10/29 16:15

Xcel Energy has shut off natural gas supply to the Knollwood subdivision

Xcel Energy has shut off the natural gas supply to all residences in the Knollwood area, including turning off the meter at each residence. Prior to turning the gas back on, each residence must turn its thermostat completely off, or risk a possible fire/explosion issue when the gas lines are recharged. Xcel has advised it will take approximately 4 hours to recharge the gas lines in the area. Fliers will be distributed to each affected home prior to evacuations being lifted to alert household about the actions they must take to restore natural gas at their homes.