More reinforcements were deployed Tuesday to fight the biggest wildfire in a decade in the western US state of Colorado, as authorities said they had started to get control of the blaze. More than 500 firefighters were attacking the blaze and plans were to have as many as 700 to 800 by Wednesday, said officials. Aircraft, including five of the nine heavy air tankers available nation-wide, were being used.
"We thought we were around five percent (containment). My hope for today is that we should be around 10 percent, weather dependent," federal fire incident commander Bill Hahnanberg told reporters. But a mid-morning update warned: "Weather conditions will be warmer and drier today with shifting winds which will cause concern for firefighters," adding that 100 fire engines were expected to be involved by Wednesday.
By Tuesday 14 helicopters including three Blackhawks from the National Guard were helping the operation, along with five of the nine Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) available nation-wide, and five heavy air tankers, it said. The fire, dubbed the High Park Fire, broke out early Saturday near Fort Collins, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north-west of Denver.
The blaze has mushroomed to 43,000 acres (17,200 hectares), making it the third largest in Colorado history, having more than doubled to 39,000 acres (15,800 hectares) from Sunday to Monday. The fire has claimed one life, a 62-year-old woman whose remains were found in the ashes of her burnt-out cabin. Wildfire smoke was wafting over the area and health officials warned people with lung problems to stay indoors. Parents were advised to keep children inside.
About 120 structures were destroyed, but authorities did not know how many were homes or out-buildings. The cause of the fire has been confirmed as lightning. In neighbouring New Mexico, meanwhile, firefighters said better weather conditions Monday had enabled them to make progress on containing a fire ravaging more than 36,000 acres. Some 979 crew were dealing with the New Mexico blaze, which was now 30 percent contained, according to an update on the inciweb.org website.
"Yesterday's break in the weather allowed firefighters to make significant progress," it said. "However, firefighters are not lulled into complacency, because the fire is still active and there is strong potential for extreme fire behaviour. Crews will use yesterday's progress as a basis for continued progress today."