Colorado faces the threat of a full-blown wildfire, again. More than 19,000 people were asked to evacuate the college town of Boulder on Saturday as the fire expands. The area is also close to the site of a destructive 2021 blaze that leveled more than 1,000 homes.

The Boulder Office of Emergency Management said in a statement that the Colorado wildfire has spread across 123 acres and has 0% containment so far. The evacuation order on Saturday covered 8,000 homes. There was no immediate information on the cause of the blaze.

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Protected wildland was burning near the Table Mesa neighborhood and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder police said on Twitter. Authorities have called it the NCAR fire, according to reports from Associated Press.

Boulder County Sheriff’s office said earlier in the day that the fire was moving south-southeast toward Eldorado Springs. However, town officials told residents in an email that there were no immediate concerns for the community.

Eldorado Canyon State Park has been closed and authorities have ordered people hiking or climbing in the area to evacuate. University of Colorado Boulder Police were evacuating the south campus and police blocked westbound traffic on roads near the blaze.

The fire started around 2 p.m. Saturday, said Boulder Fire-Rescue spokesperson Marya Washburn. An Emergency Operations Center was activated, Boulder police said. Emergency alerts were sent to cellphones within a 1/4 mile (0.4 kilometers) radius of the research center.

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“Message is to EVACUATE area due to fast moving wildfire #boulder,” police said.

The skies were clear and the temperature was about 73 degrees (23 degrees Celsius) with the wind at about 25 mph (40 kph). Winds were dying down later Saturday, Washburn said, according to reports from Associated Press.