more toxic chemicals during that release during that time around noon today. what exactly caused this power outage is not clear at this point. tri-county health says there were repairs done -- ] audio difficulties ] -- shutdown mode to prevent an explosion. a suncor spokesperson tells us the discoloration so many people saw in the smoke was caused by the release of a type of clay used here at what is in that clay, but south? adam county fire officials tell us that air quality monitoring did not detect any toxic chemicals out here. at one point an automated emergency call went out to people living within a 2-mile radius of the refinery telling them to shelter in place, but officials now say that's no longer necessary. >> what i'll tell you about the emissions is that the emissions that looked sort of odd, the odd color, it was not hazardous

monitoring to make sure that it's safe. >> reporter: now there were no injuries reported with this incident, but we can tell you that local and environmental federal officials are here to figure out what exactly went wrong today. >> we had a lot of calls this afternoon about that smoke. nice to hear it's not toxic. thanks, maya. and the wind, of course, it's had an impact as that smoke into many areas. it's also really drying thing out. meteorologist belen deleon is in the backyard. the warm weather is coming along and then we've got the wind, the smell of smoke and even to help it's going to be really nice outside. >> compact -- and even though it's going to be really nice outside. >> exactly. it's been so dry. speaking of those winds, earlier those winds were causing a bit of a mountain wave cloud. now we have clouds breaking up

the sky, but to the south we have gusts up to 12 miles per hour in castle rock. in the foothills we have the strongest winds and near the divide gusting 20 to 40 miles per hour. our friends that live out towards monarch pass are where they have winds already gusting up to about 40 miles per hour. so where we have the strongest winds, dryest conditions is where we have the red flag warnings in effect. currently we have a red flag warning in effect for the san luis valley until 7 p.m. the gusts out there are up to 35 miles pe in effect for southern wyoming and the panhandle of nebraska until 7 p.m. where the gusts could get up to 45 miles per hour. if you're just looking at the view of the city, it does look really nice, a mix of clouds and sun over the mile high. through this evening you don't need to worry about the umbrella. temperatures will be comfortable as well if you have outdoor plans in the 70s. as the sun sets we get a little cooler. temperatures around 8:00 will

high toe, 85 the record, our temperature -- today, 85 the record, our temperature 83 degrees. you can see how far above that was for the normal high this time of year. we should be closer to 66 degrees. the current temperatures across the front range are in the upper 70s and low 80s extending all the way out into eastern plains. in the foothills temperatures are in the 60s and 70s. across the state it is really dry. we have some showers trying to move utah, but they're not going to make it. this is why. it's so dry. relative humidity is less than 16% across the state and even drier for our friends on the eastern plains and lamar, relative humidity right now at 9%. so i know it's a catch 22. it's dry. we need the rain, but for those that do have outdoor plans, for example, any high school football games, the weather will be nice. we'll have clear conditions,

p.m., 63 degrees. check out our wind gust forecast through tomorrow morning. that's when the strongest winds develop gusting up to 40 miles per hour in and around the foothills, lighter winds around the front range. through tomorrow afternoon it will be breezy in that same area. we've got a lot to talk about. we'll look at that weekend forecast. is there any rain that could help us with this fire danger? also the rock and roll ma gosh, above normal temperatures for a while. temperatures today close to record high. will when will it feel like fall again? i'll answer all those questions coming up in the full forecast. >> certainly a tale of two seasons so far. >> you have people saying i'm for it and people that say i'm done with it. we want to go back to this fire with a little bit

sky9. again this is off east inspiration drive in park early. as you can see when sky 9 pulls out of the picture, you can see the dark area where the grass is burned and brush and things, but there are some trees in that area. i saw a fence line, looks like some property. a lot of people like to live in those big open spaces especially if they have horses and not too far away is a neighborhood close by. >> and belen talking about how dry it is winds picking up this afternoon and evening certainly a concern for firefighters on the front line. this is a fire once again along inspiration drive in douglas county. >> we're talking about the parker area, douglas county. we know aurora has responded. we believe south metro fire yous are on the scene as well. you have some natural fire breaks with the roads in the area, but again it's the wind, dry conditions that we're

and shut it down fairly quickly. we'll check in with it and stay on top of this fire throughout the hour. a former mexican police officer wanted for multiple rapes in his home country has been arrested for sexual assault in aurora. aurora police arrested ricardo manais allegedly after he tried to fight his way into a woman's home and she it's said he assaulted another woman in the same complex a week earlier, according to the record knocked on her apartment door, asked for water, pushed his way inside. according to online public public v -- publications he is wanted in mexico for raping multiple women. there is a search underway

28-year-old timothy chavez has been convicted of kidnapping among other charges and never showed up for sentencing. if you know where he might be, call 720-913-stop. you can call anonymously. there could be a cash reward for any information. accusations and counter accusations between the presidential campaigns, today donald trump talked about the assault. the republican nominee spoke about the accusations during an afternoon rally in greensboro, north carolina. he said these are women that are fame psychers and characters rised one -- seekers and characterized one as would not be his first choice. he went after clinton and the media conspiring to damage his image before the election. >> i think it's a disgusting

they have no witnesses. there's nobody around. they just come out. some are doing it for probably a little fame. they get some free fame. it's a total setup. now suddenly after many, many years phoney accusers come out less than a month before one of the most important elections in the history of our country. >> this is somebody who threatens to jail his political op who welcomes russian meddling in our electoral process and is now suggesting that if the election doesn't go his way, it's not because all the stuff he said, but it's because it's rape. >> today two political groups that worked to elect house republicans say they are pumping $10 million into 14 congressional races to help defend gop held seats. the money is being spent in

pennsylvania, utah and virginia. there is a political shift happening in texas that could signal the most damaging week yet for the donald trump campaign. his lead in texas slipped to four%age points and now if the first time hillary clinton -- now for the first time hillary clinton is within the margin of error for this state. clinton had 43% of the vote, trump with 47%. political experts say eroding support in the largest repuan could suggest deeper problems for trump nationwide. >> it consistently shows trump is struggling more in texas than a republican typically would. he's still highly likely to win the state in the end, but we've typically seen double digit margins for republican candidates and trump seems unlikely to produce that. >> texas senator ted cruz refused to endorse donald trump and took a hit politically, then vowed to pressure.

split. 45% approve of the job cruz is doing and 45% disapprove, but experts say his failure to endorse trump right away could result in a primary challenge a couple years from now. bernie sanders will be campaigning for amendment 69 sunday that would replace most colorado health insurance with a single insurer called colorado care. the state would collect taxes, but that would not be enough to cover all the cos, colorado cares would also need money from the government. sanders said the u.s. is the only major country not to guarantee healthcare to all people. 9news political reporter brandon rittiman truth tested the bill. you can find it on 9news.com under this story . at 5 p.m.

website the. a 5 -- website. a semi hit a guardrail and the driver, a boy's dad, lost control. the truck rolled and burst into flames. investigators say the father died at the scene after he was thrown from the vehicle. the family was on their way to galveston when the crash happened. they were in the process of making a move. >> the 5-year-old advised us that he actually pulled his 2- year-old little brother out from the 2-year-old did have severe burns to the bold. he's at memorial memorial hermann being treated but is expected to be okay. >> the boy's mother was driving an rv ahead of the tractor trailer and was unaware of what happened. in portland a tornado hit 2 blocks of the downtown area.

and northwest oregon after strong thunderstorms. the heavy rain created dangerous conditions for the morning commute. at one point several thousand people were without power. no injuries have been reported. it has been a week since hurricane matthew hit the carolinas, but the situation is still very unstable. 24 people have died from the storm in that state alone, most of them from flooding. we have the story from greenville today of the damage. >> reporter: it's a slow motion st carolinas. some of the river swollen by 17 inches of hurricane matthew's rainfall are just cresting today a full week after the storm hit. >> we've had a hard time explaining with the sky so beautiful and blue that it's really a rolling disaster happening all over, not just green -- green,ville. >> reporter: the damage assessments, clean-up and

i've been over here four times. i do not know what to pick up. >> reporter: it's been a week where hundreds have been rescued in helicopters and boats. 40,000 are without power in north carolina alone. the national guard is deployed in high water trucks to prevent looting. >> a lot of these people who lost everything had very little to begin with, but they've lost everything, so we're going to do everything we can to help them. >> reporter: for some it's a bit of deja vu. the historic town of flooded in 1999 after hurricane floyd. today it's under water again. >> i'd say 80% of this town is under water at this point in time. >> reporter: many here hope the sun keeps shining and they'll have something left when the water is finally gone. >> hurricane matthew killed at least 40 people in the u.s., more than 500 people were killed in haiti. health authorities in

a new zika zone. five people, three men and two women, tested positive for the mosquito borne virus. zika, of course, can be dangerous because it's been linked to birth defects in babies born to infected mothers. crews plan to step up pesticide spraying in that area. hunting season is big doings in the small town of kremmling. a rush of hunters from around the while many will see wild game, there is also wild artwork. that area is known for its hunting, but it's also becoming known for its art. >> reporter: that's what some 20 different local artists in kremmling are hoping to do to make i known for its art. now it looks like their work is

the mountain town of kremmling has always been a sportsman's paradise, especially this time of year. >> every year. >> reporter: when hunters like mike hogue and his son load up for a little time on the trail. >> about 30 minutes north of here. >> reporter: but over the past few years there been some creativity cultivating in kremmling. >> kind of a surprise, you know. e >> reporter: maybe it's the ufo crashing on a roof or the sculptures staring down main street, but this old hunting town is becoming untame, untapped and a little unconventional thanks to a group of artists making their mark on this small town by taking this old hotel and turning it into an artisans

skulls. >> come on in, guys. how you doing? >> reporter: to paintings and julie. >> a person that does leatherwork. we have potters. >> reporter: work that's starting to gain an attention. >> we've seen an increase in the number of people. >> reporter: even hunters are popping in hunting for art. >> to shop for my wife. >> reporter: which all of 3 artists love saying if it's the art the whole theory is that people will spend a little time getting to know the many faces of kremmling. >> 10, 15 minutes to go through all our galleries and little shops here. >> reporter: it is definitely worth it. they are doing so well here that they are expanding here at the old hotel in kremmling building some more studios and an art gallery. usually someone here five days a week. they're closed tuesdays and

weekends. that enjoy can -- wednesdays, but open on the weekends. they open this little gallery here. they say they've got art that's different, unique but very affordable. kim, i found the perfect sword for you, 300 bucks right there. i know what i'm getting you for christmas. >> look at that. >> or you could have gone with jewelry. it's always a good option, but that's a good idea for those hunters, take something the wife. >> reporter: oh, yeah. bring down a moose with that purpose by right there. look at that. >> oh, my gosh. >> look at all those beautiful pictures hanging on the wall and he finds a sword. >> of course he would. that's funny. they've got great stuff, though. that's very cool. it's a neat town, period. it's just a good blast to go visit. >> reporter: it really is. i mean it's just unique. obviously it's known for

artists have changed it the past couple years. hunters come in. they've heard of it. a lot of people in colorado are starting to catch onto the artistic value which if nothing else to look around. they're happy with that. they just want you to stop and check it out. >> the king of multi-tasking there matt renoux. >> i'm going to paint a picture here in a second. er hair just right, by the way. >> very beyoncelike. >> reporter: i'm fierce. >> you are. >> it's a friday. >> thank you, matt. >> thanks. it was blowing just right, wasn't it? >> it was. that's the advantage of shorter hair. it does help a little. if the election has you really stressed out and some people are, we have a solution. >> yeah. a lot of people are pretty

sky9 on this fire in douglas county off east inspiration drive, the 10000 block, just saw a helicopter do a water drop in the area. we have fire crews on the outskirts, much like yesterday. they're attacking it from all angles. we saw this same thing happen when this fire was also in douglas county yesterday, a different fire, and that turned out to be about 30 something acres. this one is looking pretty close to that. it's not quite again it's moving quickly. things are awfully dry. just look at the grassland around there. >> very dry. we'll keep you updated as soon as we get more information. we're giving you a live look at the fire burning in douglas county. more restrictions lifted, you can now bring home all the cuban rum and cigars you want. the obama administration is increasing trade and travel to cuba ending a five decade ban on the two popular goods.

january of 2015. that allowed you to return from cuba with up to $100 in rum and cigars in your carry-on luggage. now you can purchase as much as you want starting monday, but you won't be able to buy them online. earlier this week samsung stopped making and selling the galaxy note 7. there is a potential problem with the batteries overheating and the associated press reports alaska airlines was the first to install fireproof bags across its entire fleet. it had them since may well before the samsung problems. virgin america also has the bags. dell taces it eventually will have the bags -- delta says it eventually will have the bags. united, southwest, american and jetblue say they don't have any immediate plans to add these fire containment bags to any of their aircrafts. so it's not over yet.

they're still seeing injuries from mopeds and hover boards. federal data show that moped injuries have doubled since 2002. about a 1/4 of the patients suffered a head injury, most not wearing a helmet. last year hover boards caused 15,000 injuries mostly in children under 18, fractures, contusions and sprains the most common ailments. 13% of the cases involved a head injury. if certain images stress you out, you're not alone. we're talking about the election and things like that. 52% of surveyed adults tell us the american psychological association the presidential election is a significant source of stress for them. nearly 60% on the right say they are stressed out compared to 55% on the left and those numbers may be even higher. the survey was done in august. those over age 70 and those in

stress as well as those on social media. >> we want to know what you do to destress. it's friday, almost the weekend, time to let your hair down a bit. what is it you do? of course, we'll turn to some cute videos to try to make it better. you can take a poll on 9news.com or on our mobile app. share the videos with your friends, your kids and forget about all that stress if only for a few minutes. we need it. >> come on. when you don't think of anybody talking about certain attacks. this is the wallaby that belongs to one of political experts, -- one of our political experts. >> we joke about how we have to show an animal video at some point in the newscast. sometimes you just need a little bit more of them. >> by the way, do whatever.

of wine or take a ride. escape the stress of the election. we're going to try that. we're talking about all different kind of things today. in fact, it's really hard to put into words serving your country. >> coming up a unique perspective on what it means to be a veteran from two women who

sit military womente military women date as far back as the american revolution. each war brought more need for women. world war ii women filled almost every noncombat role, more than 400,000 american military women served at home and overseas at that time. this week 40 women who served in world war ii korea and vietnam got the chance to go to washington d.c. for many it was

? oh say can you see ? ? >> i joined soon as pearl harbor got hit. our country had been attacked. i ran the teletype and sent and received coded messages. >> this is my mom. my mom wore military boots, used to be a slur at school or something. >> just about everybody i knew was running to jo service. americans, we fly right to the occasion, you know. ? were so gallantly streaming ? ? >> and i ran right down. i was in chicago at the time. ? ? and the rockets red glare

everybody's got to participate so it stays a great country. ? ? our flag was still there ? ? oh say does that star spangled yet wave ? ? >> i'd rather have peace than war. ? in the land of the home and the home of the brave ? ? ? ? >> i was the first woman to join the army from connecticut. the army was segregated then and i didn't know that. they had a mess hall for the whites and a mess hall for the

coloreds. back then, not in the united states of america. because connecticut was integrated. i said the united states army is segregated? i couldn't believe it, but it was. [ trumpet playing taps ] >> we didn't even have bunk beds. the ship went that way, we went that way. if the ship went that way, we

hadn't got no mail from 1941 to 1943. it's around the clock and we got all our mail out and most of us came back to the united states. >> i'd love to just sit down with those women and hear their stories, certainly countless. >> times have changed, but their service, incredible and the stories to share. this trip to d.c. was courtesy of honor flight austin in texas. >> their next flight this year is in december, a special pearl

lot like summer this weekend. >> it already does today. belen is back with highs in the

we are getting a live look at mount meeker, talking with kim about we want to climb this, >> right. i'm into doing every 14er i can find. >> a beautiful look out there, certainly looking pretty. it's nice to see the snow caps out there even though it's still so warm here in the city. >> yeah. i've been known to watch a good distance for a green chiller or chips and salsa, but i'm not sure i'm going to do this one. >> if you like the heat eating spicey food do, it on the back

>> super nice so far this weekend. >> it is for those who like to be outside. who doesn't? we live in colorado. the weather will be favorable for that. unfortunately a very dry weather trend will continue and it does mean increased fire danger. it's not just you. it has been a warm october. so far out of these 14 days nine have been above average. so because of those warmer than normal days, we are currently sitting as the eighth warmest october on record. the monthly average 56 degrees. so that's the number you get when you add the highs and the lows and you average those out. so we're currently the eighth warmest october on record and the warm dry streak will continue into the weekend. we're at 81 degrees right now at dia and out here in the backyard our temperatures are coming in at 84 degrees. let's check the weather with the rest of the state. we do have a red flag warning in effect over the san luis

although we have some rain and storms trying to move into the state. our current relative humidity is in the teens. so none of that rain will develop overnight. clear skies in the mountains, 70s and 60s, out east 80s. a closer look and we have a mix of clouds and sun, a bit of blue skies and 80s still. our high today was 83 degrees. so we came really close to tying a record high of 85. those clouds will become high this evening. they won't temperatures under the clouds stay mild. our normal low around this time of year is in the upper 30s, but tonight we'll have 50s for our overnight lows and in the foothills it turns windy. winds through tomorrow morning will gust up to 30 and even 40 miles per hour. the temperatures for tonight, this isn't as cold as what it could be for this time of year. in the 30s in the mountains, 40s, 50s for the western slope and 50s down low near weld county and greeley, 45 degrees

eastern plains. here's what's happening. the reason all our clouds are increasing is because we have this very weak trough trying to push towards our direction. what that will do, it will bring us slightly cooler temperatures tomorrow and, of course, we're looking at that big system out towards the pacific northwest that through wednesday will bring them so much rain, very unstable weather out there. we also heard that reports of a tornado in oregon. so today the forecast for us is ch weekend. you don't need those umbrellas. it will remain very dry. our temperatures will be in the 80s, but because of that dry warm weather we'll have high fire danger. 84 degrees, sunday 82 degrees with clouds clearing. here's your futurecast through the rest of this afternoon and this evening. we'll have high clouds build in through tonight. those winds increase in the foothills through tomorrow morning. we'll have enough clouds in the sky i think to allow for a

we'll start to see more sunshine forecast through the evening just remaining dry across the state. so good travel weather i-76, i- 70, i-25, you're in good shape. the buffs homecoming is tomorrow at 6 p.m. the forecast looks really nice, 69 degrees, breezy at times, cool after this sun sets. now looking at the forecast sunday, it will be dry and the winds will increase as well. the gusts will be up to 30 miles per hour. we'll have a fire weather tc colorado along i-25 towards the eastern plains. another thing happening on sunday is the rock and roll 10k and half marathon. the forecast i think will be on the warm side for our runners. at 7 a.m. 51 degrees, 68 at 9:30 and around noon temperatures at 75 degrees. there's the forecast for the big event happening sunday, forecast over the weekend staying dry, monday 81 and finally feeling more like fall the middle of next week with

>> okay. well, it will cool off. >> we'll have months and months and months of really cold weather. so we'll take the warm now. >> exactly. what's the rush? >> here we go. thanks, belen. there are two really great reasons to get to boulder tonight. >> sure are. if you're ready for some halloween fun, we have a list of all metro area haunted houses coming up next in this weekend's list of nine things

boulder. it is cu's homecoming. the buffs play arizona state tomorrow at follow some field at 6 p.m. the buffs and the broncos right now have the same record. >> aside from the game it will be a big night in boulder with the homecoming parade tonight, double the fun, literally the double because the twins and the grand marshal for the parade. >> 91-year-old twin sisters

at every game since 1940 cheering on their buffs. if you've never met them, introduce yourself because they'd love to chat with you. they graduated from boulder high and enrolled at university of colorado. they've attended almost every cu football and basketball game for 45 years. another little piece of trivia, they absolutely love the band. ask them about the band. they have all the best stories about the band and the parade events get started at 5:00 and another set of twins with ties, ryan and darren cheverini. both played for the buffs in the late '90s. they celebrated a birthday this week. darren is now the co-offensive coordinator and wide receiver coach at cu. ryan is a former 9news reporter. he's now co-host of windy city live in chicago, so twins. >> we love the twin connection, big weekend out there, too. the other colorado college

weekend. the csu thunder wolves play tomorrow at 2:00 and the bears play davis tomorrow night at 5:00. air force takes on the new mexico lobos tomorrow at 1:30. the csu rams take on boise state broncos in boise tomorrow night at 8:20. >> good luck to all of our teams. >> yeah. if you aren't watching football this weekend, you do need to go outside. get out there. >> it's going to be beautiful. we also have a list of nine things to do in colorado under and the 9news mobile app. feel like you're not ready to celebrate halloween? well, maybe you need to get in the spirit or get scared, i guess. several haunted houses across the metro area, we've compiled a round-up of some of the spooky ones if you want to check them out. >> that is creepy. >> the full list of the nine things to do online and the

>> let's stop that video. if you've been driving by the denver center for the performing arts and wonder hey, what's going on? it's the snowboard on the block today and tomorrow, an entire festival dedicated to snowboarding. folks are getting stoked out there, a three-story street style jam. tickets are available online. we have a link to that on our website 9news.com. >> it's worth just driving by. >> see them fl. she starts with some big dreams and now these big dreams turned into one reality. >> coming up next a woman proving anyone can do anything in our hispanic heritage

belen is back to talk about today's story... we are celebrating hispanic heritage this month. >> belen is back to talk about

i'm so excited to bring you this story about a woman who came from very humble beginnings, but because of her very hard work she became the first colorado latina to be accepted into harvard law school. now as a federal judge christine aguayo is helping young girls have a career as hers. christine was thinking about what she wanted to be when she grew up rather than thinking about clothes or hair styles magazine at a library waiting for a friend of mine and it was about lawyer in law schools. >> she never personally had met a lawyer but had an idea what the job required. >> i saw perry mason on tv and said they like to argue with people and i like to argue with people and it was that simple. i said i usually win my arguments. >> the article also said harvard had the best law school. she didn't know where it was, but she knew that's where she had to be.

was to get into harvard. i went to cu, graduated no. 1 in my class there. i was the outstanding senior of the school of education for 1977. i applied to harvard and god was watching out for me and i got in. >> christine was the first latina from colorado to be accepted into harvard law school. she was only one of three latinas in a class of 600. >> most of my classmates were sons and daughters of lawyers or doctors or europe. i hadn't been out of colorado. >> christine graduated from harvard in 1980. it was a proud moment for her parents. her father took a bus to cambridge to attend her graduation. in 2008 after receiving a nomination from george w. bush she became the first latina to be confirmed a judge on colorado's federal bench. she doesn't want to be the last. >> i think the reason god put me here in this position is so that i can help that next generation climb that mountain.

created law school yes, we, can a four year program that pairs students with successful mentor. it provides resources and insight they might not otherwise have. resources range from help with law school applications to securing internships and providing stye pends for prep courses -- stipends for prep courses. >> these kids are going to be the leaders of this community and they'll have the connections to do that. >> she thought she was growing up to argue with people, but really she grew up to be an inspiration. >> these kids need to see people like us in these positions that look like them that came from where their background was so that they realize if they are willing to dream big, work hard, take some risks, not an uneducated risk, but a really conscious decision,

the sky is the limit. >> belen deleon, 9news. the judge says law school yes, we can accepts students of all backgrounds, not just latino. if you have a child that might be interested in applying to law school or you'd like to be a mentor, they need your help. so please visit their website lawschoolyeswecan.org. >> s at that age is big enough. >> yes. and to keep going because she confessed to me her time in harvard was pretty tough. there were very few latinos. she didn't have that support system. she had to keep going and keep going. she relied on her family. now with law school yes, you can you have the support system to enable the students. there's no excuses. they're making it possible and creating the path for these

out with you today. >> it was fun. we hope you stick around for 9news at 5:00. we're going to be here we decided. >> have a good weekend! next at 5:00 a power failure at suncor energy results in plumes of white and yellow and black smoke over commerce city police officer accused of rape in aurora and investigators say there may be other victims. >> and a massive homecoming surprise for an east high school student severely injured overseas next on 9news. >> this is 9news. for thesecond straight day a brushfire is keeping fire

this one charred a grassy area along the 10200 block of inspiration drive. crews from multiple departments have been working on the ground, no word yet what sparked this fire. this caught the eye of many around lunchtime in the metro area, a yellowish plume of smoke billowing out of the sun corps refinery in commerce city. -- suncor refinery in commerce city. at first firefighters thought no toxic released, but then the colorado department of health now saying it's too soon to tell if anything toxic was released. 9news reporter maya rodriguez here to tell us what happened today. >> reporter: refinery officials and firefighters tell us a power outage led to that release and in the last hour the state department of health put out their statement saying they can't tell at this point whether that release was hazardous or not. this started around noon today.