Denver, CO
10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
Thornton police officers went door-to-door Wednesday afternoon to evacuate residents after a grass fire sparked near a high school, rapidly spreading and injuring five people, according to law enforcement.
The fire burned for more than two hours in Thornton before the city’s fire department announced the flames had been fully contained at 2:07 p.m. Wednesday. At that time, the fire had consumed roughly 10 acres, Thornton Fire Chief Stephen Kelley said in a news conference. Residents were allowed to return home shortly after 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thornton Police Department said in an update.
Fire crews from across the Denver area responded to the fire at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Kelley said. By noon, heavy, black smoke blowing from the scene had shut down Interstate 25.
The fire chief estimated that between 100 and 150 firefighters from various agencies responded to the fire.
No homes were destroyed in the fire, which started on a greenbelt between a residential neighborhood and local businesses, Kelley said. The cause of the fire remained under investigation on Wednesday and damage to the businesses was still being evaluated, he said.
“It is our intent to get ahead of these fires so we don’t have the spread … experienced during the Marshall fire,” Kelley said. “I think we’re very fortunate today that we did not have an outcome similar.”
No fatalities or critical injuries from the fire were reported on Wednesday, Kelley said. Five people, including four firefighters, were injured in the fire but are expected to survive. Additional information on their injuries was not available.
High winds fueled the fire’s “rapid spread” as most of the Front Range and Eastern Plains remained under a red flag warning, Kelley said.
The warning, which will be in effect until 6 p.m. Wednesday, covers parts of Larimer, Weld, Boulder, Jefferson, Broomfield, Douglas, Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Morgan, Elbert, Lincoln, Logan, Washington, Sedgwick and Phillips counties, according to the National Weather Service.
Up to 55 mph wind gusts and humidity values as low as 15% are forecast through Wednesday evening, forecasters said in the warning.
“These are conditions that we continue to face on a daily basis here on the Front Range,” Kelley said.
Interstate 25 was closed in both directions for more than an hour near the fire’s start for low visibility, a closure that steadily grew before it was fully lifted at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. During the closure’s peak, all lanes of I-25 were closed between Colorado 53/58th Avenue in North Washington and 104th Avenue in Thornton, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Cameras along I-25 in the area of the fire showed thick, black smoke drifting across the highway just after noon on Wednesday.
Pinnacle Charter High School and nearby businesses were evacuated and several roads around the fire — which sparked near the high school at West 84th Avenue and Huron Street — were closed, according to the Thornton Police Department.
Continued road closures are expected in the area as fire crews work to extinguish hotspots and ensure the flames don’t rekindle amid high winds, Kelley said. Crews will remain in the area overnight.
The exact evacuation area is unknown, but police said it covered neighborhoods northeast of the fire. Information on the number of people and homes in the evacuation zone was not available.
Police established a formal evacuation shelter at the Margaret Carpenter Recreation Center, 11151 Colorado Blvd., after residents were initially directed to Water World.
Thousands of Xcel Energy customers remained without power in the area Wednesday afternoon, according to the utility’s outage map.
Outages included more than 3,000 customers in Jefferson County near Arvada and Westminster, 200 customers in Adams County near Sherrelwood and dozens of small outages in between, according to the utility.
Xcel Energy did not proactively de-energize power lines in the area, but utility officials were working with fire crews and were ready to shut down lines if needed, spokesperson Michelle Aguayo said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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For the first time in the team’s history, Altitude Sports is broadcasting Denver Nuggets home games in Spanish. Kroenke Sports and Entertainment announced it has contracted a team to broadcast its games in Spanish for the playoffs.
“I think that is what the public wanted,” said Ivan De La Garza, producer for the broadcast team.
A team of three people, two commentators and a producer, sit in a press box at the top of Ball Arena. Their commentary is then synced with the traditional Altitude broadcast video and shared on the Altitude Plus application.
“With the Nuggets winning in the last five years, there is a tremendous amount of following from Latino people trying to listen to and watch the games in Spanish,” said Andres Casas, color commentator for the broadcast.
Casas said he strives to bring the same energy fans get during soccer broadcasts into the basketball broadcasts.
“That excitement that gets you. We want people to feel they are at the game,” Casas said.
“It has been so amazing to be a part of the Spanish broadcast for the Nuggets. I have been a fan of the Nuggets for my whole life,” said Jena Garcia, play-by-play commentator.
Garcia said it has been a dream come true to help bring this broadcast to her community.
“I’ve always desired to hear a Spanish broadcast, just as a fan. To be a part of it is just incredible,” Garcia said.
Those working in the broadcast said they are honored to help expand the reach of the Nuggets and sports in accessing diverse communities.
“We love sports. We are passionate, we are loud. We like to get together and enjoy sports,” De La Garza said.
“The Nuggets have a huge following, especially on the Spanish side. So, it is great for them to be able to listen to what is going on, game by game, especially into the playoffs,” Casas said.
“It is just another step of access that they are getting to be a fan of basketball,” Garcia said.
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Denver, CO
Where to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Playoffs: TV channel, start time, streaming for April 18
The 2026 NBA postseason is finally here after a thrilling Play-In Tournament saw the Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers officially earn their spot in the playoffs
The postseason action continues on Saturday as the Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the first round. We’ve got you covered on everything you need to know to tune in for tip off.
Want to see the full National Basketball Association schedule for April 18 and how to watch all the games? Check out our sortable NBA schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Game 1?
Tip off between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, April 18.
How to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets on Saturday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 11:45 a.m.
Watch the NBA Playoffs on Fubo
NBA scores and results
See scores, results for all of today’s games. .
See NBA scores, results from April 17
Odds for NBA games today
The latest NBA odds can be found below from the best sports betting apps . Some odds may include games scheduled on future dates.
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