Rampaging wildfires caused by hot, dry, and windy conditions in Colorado and Utah force more than 10,000 people to evacuate their homes. The fires are expected to continue through midweek. Warnings have been put into effect across portions of 10 states, meaning “a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures will create explosive fire growth potential.”
On Sunday, the fires prompted some 11,000 people in and around Colorado Springs after the 3,600-acre Waldo Canyon Fire began there a day earlier. By evening on Sunday, the Waldo Canyon Wildfire remained zero percent contained. More than 13,000 residencies are threatened, although authorities said no structures have been lost and no injuries have been reported. FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, authorized the use of federal funds to help fight the Waldo Canyon Fire after Colorado Springs and surrounding El Paso County declared an emergency, which permits them to receive federal and state aid. Mayor Steve Bach of Colorado Springs said, “This is obviously beyond the resources of any one agency. This declaration is the next step needed for an incident of this size.”
