360-plus homes destroyed in Colo. Springs wildfire

Black Forest Fire Dept. officers burn off natural ground fuel in an evacuated neighborhood, prepping the area for the encroachment of the wildfire in the Black Forest area north of Colorado Springs, Colo., on Wednesday, June 12, 2013. The number of houses destroyed by the Black Forest fire could grow to around 100, and authorities fear it's possible that some people who stayed behind might have died. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

(AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A wildfire burning northeast of Colorado Springs has destroyed at least 360 homes, making it the most destructive in state history.

El Paso County sheriff Terry Maketa said Thursday that deputies still haven’t been able to verify the condition of 79 homes as the wildfire continues to burn. So it’s possible the figure could rise even higher.

The fire is burning near where the Waldo Canyon fire burned 347 homes last year and killed two people. It was previously the most destructive in Colorado history.

Fueled by hot temperatures, changing gusts, and thick, bone-dry forests, the Black Forest Fire earlier prompted evacuation orders and pre-evacuation notices to more than 9,000 people and to about 3,500 homes and businesses, sheriff’s officials said.

 

Yahoo News has the full article

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