Wildfires near Boulder, Colorado prompt evacuation orderWinds in excess of 100 mph fueled wildfires that broke out near Boulder, Colorado, forcing authorities to evacuate communities.Storyful, StoryfulBOULDER, Colo. — Several grass fires near Boulder, Colorado, forced thousands of people to flee their homes Thursday, officials said, as high winds knocked down live power lines.The National Weather Service called it a “life-threatening” situation, as one gust of 110 mph was reported in the region. On Thursday afternoon, a cloud of dark gray smoke could be seen blowing over the town of Superior, located about 20 miles northwest of Denver.The entire town, which has about 13,000 residents, was ordered to evacuate because of a fire that spread northwest of town, according to a notice sent to residents.The town of Louisville, Colorado, with some 20,000 residents, was also ordered to evacuate due to the fires. “If you’re in the area, please act quickly,” the Boulder Office of Emergency Management tweeted. “Prayers for thousands of families evacuating from the fires in Superior and Boulder County,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a Tweet. “Fast winds are spreading flames quickly and all aircraft are grounded.”Boulder County Office of Emergency Management has just announced an Evacuation Order for ALL of Superior, Colorado residents. Evacuation point is the South Boulder Recreation Center. The Superior Community Center is not an official evacuation location.— Town of Superior, Colorado (@townofsuperior) December 30, 2021Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist who is on the scene in Colorado Thursday, tweeted “it’s honestly a pretty harrowing scene near Louisville and Superior right now. I can see quite a few structures burning and, if anything, the winds have increased.”The Boulder Police Department is asking drivers to stay off the roads as the smoke is making it hard to see and the roads are becoming clogged, according to Denver’s Channel 7. First responders are trying to move around the traffic.Trevor Hughes reported from Boulder. Contributing: The Associated Press