FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Authorities asked dozens of families to evacuate Thursday as a 2,000-acre wildfire turned toward a subdivision in the foothills of northern Colorado.
The evacuation was voluntary, but fire information officer John Bustos said the blaze was "very active" and was being fed by wind gusting to 35 mph. The fire nearly doubled in size overnight.
It was unclear how many people live in the subdivision, but Bustos said there were about 80 homes in the community west of Fort Collins. Automated warning calls were placed to the homes before dawn.
The fire is an ominous sign of what could be a long, brutal fire season. Colorado remains mired in a drought with no sign of relief.
"This is a bad sign for this time of the year, and we have to take this as a warning that we could have a potentially long year, an extreme year," said Justin Dombrowski, Boulder's wildlands fire manager.
The blaze began Tuesday when a residential yard fire got out of control. It has been fanned by gusty wind and officials said they feared an approaching storm front could cause more problems late Thursday.
Two air tankers and two helicopters, along with four crews totaling 80 people, were available to fight the fire. Two additional helicopters have been ordered.
Meanwhile, in central Arizona a 2,700-acre wildfire was 60 percent contained with forest officials hoping for full containment by Friday. The fire, first spotted on Monday, was not immediately threatening any homes.
Joe Luttman, a fire information officer, said 316 firefighters were working on the wildfire along with two small tankers, 15 engines, two helicopters and two bull dozers. Two elite Hotshot crews were en route.
Southwest of Phoenix, a wildfire burning along the dry bed of the Gila River grew to at least 3,000 acres but was about 70 percent contained. No homes or communities were threatened.
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On the Net:
National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov