Families dining at a Chuck E. Cheese in Superior, Colorado, had to be evacuated in dramatic scenes as a wildfire took hold nearby - and footage of the event has been compared to something straight out of a disaster movie.
Jason Fletcher (@SoFarFletched) from California was visiting the area with his family enjoying a day eating and playing arcade games at the restaurant, with blue skies and high winds outside. But things quickly changed within a matter of minutes, he told Insider.
Close up view of the Boulder County fire and reaction from inside the Chuck E. Cheese off Marshall Rd in Superior, CO with wind gusts of 110mph. pic.twitter.com/OkBUnl8E9c
— Jason Fletcher (@SoFarFletched) December 30, 2021
Smoke was first spotted at around noon, but Fletcher recalled how customers weren’t alarmed by it and thought the high winds were blowing the smoke from another area. They soon found out this wasn’t the case as the smoke began to build and cover the skies.
“Then my wife noticed the flames, and that’s when she called out to everybody,” Fletcher explained.
This is when Fletcher decided to capture footage of the scene in front of him that he later posted to Twitter, showing large flames just meters away from the restaurant.
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Panicked families can be seen dashing around the arcade as they informed others of what was happening outside before dozens of adults and children made a beeline for the exit to escape.
“Everybody was just gathering their kids and making sure they were safe,” Fletcher added.
In the footage, both parents and children can be seen struggling to push the exit door open due to the strong winds.
Luckily for Fletcher and his family, they were fortunate enough to have brought along masks and so they were able to cover their faces from the thick smoke as they walked to their car.
Fire trucks arrived by the time Fletcher and his family were safely evacuated, and helped people out of the shopping centre.
People couldn’t believe what they were seeing in Fletcher’s footage, comparing it to a dystopian horror movie while sympathising with those affected by the wildfires. Many also noted how this extreme weather is a result of climate change.
It looks like the beginning to a dystopian film. Hopefully everyone is safe in Boulder.#BoulderColorado #BoulderFire #ClimateChange #Boulder pic.twitter.com/UL2XFohUJT
— Mark DuPuis (@Markd3211) December 30, 2021
Every video I’ve seen has been terrifying 🥺 praying for all of the people scared & having to go through this. Those poor babies ☹️ https://t.co/ckMCuIBu6D
— Amanda (@amandaxxcampos) December 31, 2021
The sight of everyone wearing masks as they flee from climate change events has a very ominous feel to it. https://t.co/igyGGGAsjx
— myco dreams (@EWWWYUCKY) December 31, 2021
People will still be calling climate change a hoax as they watch the entire fucking planet burn to a crisp. https://t.co/TfIQ86nxP4
— Francesca Diasio (@Francesca1Diasi) December 31, 2021
This gets the heart racing. Terrifying ordeal. https://t.co/8cU8PISqYo
— Paul Dellegatto⚡️FOX (@PaulFox13) December 31, 2021
This is like horror movie stuff. https://t.co/HxuJdymYfm
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) December 31, 2021
Those poor people!
— 🇺🇸🏳️🌈Meidas_T'Sharra🏳️🌈🇺🇸 (@TSharraRahl) December 31, 2021
This is the first up close I've seen.
I'm terrified for them. https://t.co/0X7YGWuw18
No matter where you live, you are not safe from the effects of climate change. We CAN make this better, but it’s going to take all of us. https://t.co/9Xb1MK7aS4
— Kevin Hennegan (@KHennegan) December 31, 2021
This is more effective than any Hollywood movie could ever be. https://t.co/SMIYahd2p3
— Dunk your mozz sticks in ketchup (@thomasjbees42) December 31, 2021
This has got to be up there with the most dystopian things I’ve ever seen.
— George Clark (@GeorgeVClark) December 31, 2021
The Climate Crisis is here folks. https://t.co/FsyyoxBq20
What kind of world are we leaving for our children? This is apocalyptic. https://t.co/7olny0WgGt
— Queen of the Faeries (@wildthymebIows) December 30, 2021
In recent days, Colorado has been experiencing high winds that have caused fires around the Front Range that led Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado to declare a state of emergency on Thursday.
Boulder County, northwest of Denver has been particularly affected by this weather.
Residents in the Louisville and Superior area, where the said Chuck E. Cheese is located, were told to evacuate over the fires. Winds in the area reached speeds of 110 mph, according to officials.
At least six people were treated with burns and injuries as a result of the fires, UCHealth said.
