Colorado wildfires send residents scrambling for cover, force two towns to evacuate

Colorado wildfires have forced residents in two cities to evacuate and has produced harrowing videos on social media of residents fleeing the flames.

The city of Louisville, was has a population of 21,000, was evacuated after residents in Superior, which has 13,000 residents, were told to leave.

Superior is about 20 miles northwest of Denver. Louisville is just 4 miles northeast of Superior.

A nearby portion of U.S. Highway 36 was also shut down because of fire.

The blaze northwest of Superior was one of several fires that started in the area Thursday, at least some sparked by downed powerlines, as winds have gusted up to 105 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

A scene straight out of an apocalyptic movie was captured in bystander video outside a Costco in Superior. It shows winds whipping through the barren trees in the parking lot surrounded by gray skies, a hazy sun, and small fires scattered across the ground.

"If you are in Louisville, this is a life threatening situation," the National Weather Service tweeted Thursday. "LEAVE NOW! #MarshallFire."