Hundreds Of Homes Have Been Destroyed By Wildfires In Colorado, Forcing Residents To Flee Their Homes.

Following wind-fueled wildfires that blanketed portions of the area in smoky, orange sky and destroyed hundreds of homes, tens of thousands of inhabitants in two municipalities in the US state of Colorado have been warned to evacuate.

At least one first responder and six others were hurt, while Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said more injuries and deaths were possible due to the severity of the fires that quickly spread across the region with winds gusting up to 105 mph (169 kph).

After the 13,000 people in Superior were instructed to leave, Louisville's 21,000 residents were advised to evacuate on Thursday.

The villages are around 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of the state capital, Denver, which has a population of almost 715,000 people.

In Denver, a massive column of smoke from the flames could be seen. Several structures were also on fire in Superior, a suburb of Boulder, according to a Reuters photo.

According to news accounts, at least 580 residences, a hotel, and a retail center were destroyed in the fire. According to the Denver Post, the fire is the most catastrophic in Colorado history in terms of home destruction.

Governor Jared Polis announced a state of emergency, allowing disaster funds to be used to support emergency response activities as well as the mobilization of the Colorado National Guard and other state resources as needed.

A nearby section of the US roadway was also reported to be closed due to a fire.

As winds gusted up to 169 kilometres per hour, a conflagration broke out northwest of Superior, one of several that broke out in the area (105 miles per hour).

According to the police department, all sections of Louisville, with the exception of two districts, have been told to evacuate.

The amount of property losses was not immediately clear, but images of homes engulfed in flames near Louisville was broadcast by a news station.

Following several days of heavy snow in the Rocky Mountains to the west, fires erupted on the fringes of the Denver metropolitan area, which had been left bone dry by an acute drought gripping eastern Colorado.

Smaller fires were also recorded in at least two regions, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in a social media post.

The National Weather Service cautioned that the fast-moving fires in some regions were posing a "life-threatening situation."