NCAR Wildfire Is 90% Contained, But Expect Smoke: Officials

BOULDER, CO — Around 90 percent of the NCAR Wildfire was contained by Tuesday evening, but hotspots are still sending smoke drifting throughout the Boulder area, fire officials said. There is no need to call 911 if you see small amounts of smoke coming from the burn scar, as that's "a normal occurrence as a fire burns itself out," Boulder Fire-Rescue said.

Fire crews switched to a 'monitoring and recovery' phase Tuesday as rain helped them battle the blaze, the agency said. The crews were able to stop the spread of the fire at 190 acres.

"We had over 50 agencies support and aid us during the fire over the span of the last few days," Boulder Fire-Rescue said in a news release posted Tuesday evening.

"We would like to express our sincere gratitude to every one of them. Fighting a fire like the NCAR fire required all of us working together and our success is shared by everyone."

Around 19,000 residents were ordered to evacuate after the fire broke out Saturday in the rolling hills near the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The burned to within 1,000 yards of homes on the west end of the city.

Evacuees were able to return to their homes on Monday as crews put down lines of fire retardant near the residences.

Previously a summer staple, wildfires are becoming a year-round occurrence in the West, as drier weather and extreme temperatures grow across much of the region.

Winter precipitation helped ease the severity of the dry fall that preceded December's destructive fire in Colorado. However, a heat wave engulfed Western states in recent days. In Boulder County, the temperature hit 78 degrees, more than 20 degrees above average highs. Meanwhile, temperatures in southern Arizona and across Texas shot into the 90s.

In Texas, firefighters were battling several wildfires, the largest of which has burned 85 square miles and was 90 percent contained.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.