# disaster
Firefighters are doing their best to protect homes against a fast-moving wildfire that has shocked the state at a time when the ground should normally be thick with December snow.
The Marshall Fire, south of Boulder, was fueled by winds of more than 100 miles per hour, knocking down power lines and starting fires.
On Thursday night, officials confirmed that at least 580 homes had been destroyed, making the Marshall Fire the most destructive property destruction in the state's history.
Thursday's second fire, the Middle Fork Fire, started at 10:30 a.m. north of Boulder but was contained by mid-afternoon without burning any structures.
The non-seasonal fires came after smaller fires were reported in the state, at the end of an extremely dry summer and fall.
Colorado's unusually high spring rainfall has been followed by a severe drought: since April 1, Boulder has received less than a quarter of its typical rain and snow during the five-month period.