The worst fire season in recent history is taking its toll with large fires burning thousands of acres in Colorado while others consume areas in Montana, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming.
By Isolde Raftery, msnbc.com
The fast-paced Waldo Canyon Fire near Colorado Springs, Colo., may be more than half contained, but fire officials warn that it hasn?t run its course. Firefighters hope to have it completely contained by July 16, 9news.com reported.
So far, the Waldo Canyon blaze ? deemed the most destruction wildfire in Colorado state history ? has burned nearly 18,000 acres and destroyed 346 homes, the television station reported. The cause of the fire, which started on June 23, is under investigation.
The fire is still active and the environment remains very dry, Bret Waters, emergency management director of Colorado Springs,?told the Denver Post. About 3,000 people are still barred from returning home, he said.
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Fire managers called the fire ?incredible,? the Denver Post reported in another story. It has burned more than 1,500 degrees ? that's hotter than the Hayman Fire in 2002, which was Colorado's biggest-ever wildfire in terms of acreage -- and has moved very quickly.
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The heat radiating from the fire has cooked the area around it, making it easier for the fire to spread.
When a disaster strikes, the Red Cross breaks out a special tool to help catalog the damage and share information between the local police, fire departments and the national organization.
The fire burned so hot at the northwest border of the fire that a window sill inside a home caught fire, the Post reported.
Rain is forecast but afternoon thunderstorms could counter the moisture by introducing more wind and lightning.
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