Colorado Wildfires Spread; Hundreds of Homes Evacuated
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Stockbyte/John Foxx(DENVER) — At least one person is dead after intense wildfires stretching up to 3,000 acres erupted Monday in Colorado’s Front Range Foothills, about 25 miles southwest of Denver, according to the Jefferson County sheriff’s office.
Authorities have not released the name of the person who died or the circumstances around the death. An investigation is currently underway.
So far, over 900 homes have been evacuated as the fire continues to spread, likely due to the dry, windy weather in the state.
The first evacuation was ordered Monday afternoon in the Pleasant Park area, where local schools have set up shelter for evacuated residents.
The “Lower North Fork Fire,” as it is being called, is among the worst of the fires and is burning in steep mountain canyon areas. Firefighters responding to the blaze are up against winds between 20 and 30 mph.
Officials say they probably won’t have a good idea about how many homes have been lost until daybreak.
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