THORNTON, Colo. — People forced to flee a rapidly spreading grass fire in Thornton earlier Wednesday were allowed back home hours after the blaze sent a large plume of black smoke into the air that could be seen from miles away.
The fire near W. 84th Avenue and Huron Street started at around 11:30 a.m. and sent smoke drifting over Interstate 25, forcing state transportation officials to fully shut down the highway between Thornton Parkway and W. 84th Avenue for about two hours.
As it moved east, the blaze then forced city officials to issue mandatory evacuation orders for residents along a green belt between a neighborhood to the north and businesses to the south, according to Thornton Fire Chief Steve Kelley, who said no Code Red alert was sent to people in the area because the city is transitioning into a new alert system…