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Afternoon Sky Turned Dark Orange by Colorado's East Troublesome Fire

Colorado’s raging East Troublesome Fire prompted mandatory evacuation orders on October 22, as the blaze grew to more than 170,163 acres, or 266 square miles.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office issued a mandatory evacuation order for the western part of Rocky Mountain National Park and western parts of Estes Park on Thursday. Residents were instructed to evacuate as quickly as possible.

Town officials said all routes into Estes Park had been closed. Rocky Mountain National Park was also closed, and park officials warned that air quality was “hazardous.”

Brandon Burkett shared this footage of the dark sky taken around 2 pm on Thursday afternoon. Roads out of Estes Park were reportedly clogged with traffic amid the evacuations.

As of Friday morning, the fire was 170,163 acres and was five percent contained. Credit: Brandon Burkett via Storyful