'Imminent Danger' From Kruger Rock Fire Prompts Mandatory Evacuations in Colorado Town

A mandatory evacuation was ordered Tuesday for a Colorado town due to "immediate and imminent danger" from the recently sparked Kruger Rock Fire.

"Fire officials have ordered an upgrade to mandatory evacuations for the area of Meadowdale and south to the Boulder County line, to include Big Elk Meadows and Pinewood Springs west of Highway 36, for residents and business occupants due to immediate and imminent danger," the Larimer County Sheriff's Office said in an alert to community members.

"Evacuate the area immediately and as quickly as possible. Do not delay leaving to gather belongings or make efforts to protect your home or business. Evacuating immediately not only supports your safety, but also allows emergency crews better access to the area."

The Kruger Rock Fire was first reported by officials on Tuesday morning and is approximately 20 acres in size. Officials said that the cause of the blaze is currently unknown.

At 9:45 a.m. local time, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office issued an update on the fire, saying that it had grown to approximately 75 acres in size: "Structures are threatened, but no reports of damage at this time."

Prior to the mandatory evacuation, the sheriff's office issued a voluntary evacuation for residents in the "area of Hermit Park near Highway 36."

As the fire continued to grow in size, the Colorado State Patrol in Larimer County said in a tweet that "Colorado Highway 36 is closed at Mall Road in Estes Park and at Apple Valley Road, west of Lyons due to emergency operations for the #KrugerRockFire."

According to the National Weather Service in Boulder, wind speeds near the Kruger Rock Fire were moving at around 25 to 30 miles per hour and were expected to increase throughout the day.

"Critical fire weather conditions today across much of the foothills - be fire aware!" the National Weather Service in Boulder said.

Numerous photos and videos of the fire have been posted across social media showing plumes of smoke across the Colorado town.

Twitter user Miles Blumhardt wrote: "The #KrugerRockFire is east of Rocky Mountain National Park with strong gusty wind from the northeast."

Twitter user Eric Harrington posted a similar video showing smoke from the Kruger Rock Fire as it continued to burn.

"Video taken at 10:25a MT. Fire still burning. Reaching the hill top. Wind gusts are still really high," the tweet said.

Newsweek reached out to the Larimer County Sheriff's Office for further comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.