On Thursday afternoon, the Marshall Fire and the much smaller Middle Fork Fire swept through Boulder County, forcing more than 30,000 residents to evacuate the area. Aided by dry, windy conditions, the blazes, which officials say were likely caused by downed power lines, quickly burned through more than 1,000 acres. The Marshall Fire likely destroyed more than 600 homes, a new record for number of dwellings burned by a Colorado wildfire.

In the early hours of Friday morning, 5280 senior staff writer Robert Sanchez saw the destruction caused by the still-burning Marshall Fire firsthand.