Canyon Wildfire Destroys Dozens of Colorado Homes

(Sept. 7) -- Calmer winds this morning are helping more than 100 firefighters working on a 3,500-acre wildfire that's already destroyed dozens of homes northwest of Boulder, Colo.

Feeding on dry pine needles and brush in the rough terrain of Fourmile Canyon, the fire began Monday morning and quickly spread as winds gusting to 45 mph blew the blaze in all directions, Andrew Barth, spokesman for the city and county of Boulder, told AOL News this morning.

"It's in a mountainous area, a steep canyon with lots of trees, and lots of undergrowth," Barth said. "The crews are doing the best they can to keep it contained. It's really tough to get into these areas."

The fire did not grow much overnight, fire spokesman Rick Brough told reporters at a morning brief. "Most of the burn was in the interior of the perimeter," he said.

The winds died down overnight, making firefighting conditions more favorable today, Brough said, adding that the forecast called for winds of just 3 to 6 mph. Crews will be working to save threatened structures and keep the fire from spreading, he said. No injuries or deaths have been reported.

The blaze prompted the evacuation of 3,500 people whose homes dot the hilly, wooded canyon. The sheriff's department went door to door to make sure people left home, Barth said, with some going to evacuation shelters.

The cause of the fire is not known. An investigative team will begin work today on determining what started the fire and counting the number of lost homes, Brough said. Investigators will try to interview people who reported the fire Monday morning, he said.

Dozens of homes were destroyed, The Associated Press reported, but no numbers were provided Tuesday morning. "We do know structures have burned but we don't know exactly how many," Barth said.

Four firefighters lost their homes in the fire and were relieved of duty to be with their families.

"There were homes that were lost that belonged to firefighters that were here working this afternoon," said Laura McConnell of the Boulder County incident command center, KDVR-TV reported. "Those firefighters have been released from this incident."

Tom Neur lost his home in the canyon, and said he fled with just minutes to spare, KDVR-TV reported.

"We're still in shock. We lost everything but what we've got [with us]," he told the station from an evacuation center. "[We're going to] wait for the adrenaline to wear off and find a place to stay tonight."

Thick clouds of smoke filled the area and a smoke plume could be seen as far east as Denver International Airport, The Denver Post reported.

"It's jet black out here," David Jones, who lives within a mile of the fire, told the newspaper. "There is ash falling from the sky."

More than 100 firefighters from 30 agencies were fighting the blaze, Barth said. More manpower is expected today, Brough said, without giving numbers.

Three planes dropped slurry and water Monday afternoon, and Brough said he expected a total of nine planes today -- two spotter planes and seven air tankers, and said there are three helicopters that can be used if needed.

The area has been dry for some time.

"We haven't had any rain there for almost a month," Craig Douglas, who lives north of the fire, told The Associated Press. "Maybe more than a month."

"The humidity the last couple of days has been in the single digits, so it was a fire waiting to happen," he said.