DENVER (AP) — A wildfire on the edge of metro Denver approached within a quarter-mile of evacuated homes, but officials expressed optimism on Thursday that hundreds of homes at risk could be saved despite the challenges posed by scorching temperatures and firefighters struggling with heat exhaustion.
The blaze was one of several threatening densely populated areas of the Colorado foothills, including one where a fatality occurred earlier in the week.
There are nearly 100 large wildfires raging across the western United States. The largest, the Park Fire in Northern California, has destroyed over 400 homes and other structures, officials reported on Thursday.
New significant fires have also been reported in Idaho, southeast Montana and north Texas.
The Quarry Fire southwest of Littleton, a Denver suburb, threatened several large neighborhoods. Nearly 600 homes were under evacuation orders after the fire spread rapidly overnight on Tuesday.
Mark Techmeyer from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported that five firefighters, including four suffering from heat exhaustion, were injured on Wednesday.
The fire, which was burning in challenging terrain, had been contained to less than a half-square mile (1.4 square kilometers) without any homes being destroyed so far. However, officials warned that the hot weather and low humidity were creating high fire danger conditions on Thursday.
During a press briefing near the fire, Techmeyer emphasized the difficulties faced by firefighters in the extreme heat and physical labor. The primary objective was to prevent the fire from crossing a road on its north side, where neighborhoods are densely packed.
Further north, in Lyons, Colorado, progress was reported on the Stone Canyon Fire, which claimed one life and destroyed five homes. The cause of this fire is currently under investigation.
In California, the arson-caused Park Fire near Chico continued to grow, covering an area of about 610 square miles (1,590 square kilometers) as of Thursday morning. The fire has destroyed 437 structures and damaged 42, with containment at 18%.
Firefighters anticipated challenging weather conditions in the coming days, including potential triple-digit temperatures, thunderstorms, and erratic winds. Nearly 6,000 personnel were engaged in fighting the Park Fire, with additional crews arriving from Utah and Texas.
Scientists have warned that extreme wildfires are becoming more frequent and destructive due to climate change leading to a warming planet and worsening drought conditions.
Brown reported from Billings, Montana.
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