1 dead as Colorado wildfire spreads; California Park Fire raging
Hundreds of people in central Colorado were evacuated early Wednesday as a wildfire near Denver spread quickly over mountainous terrain, leaving officials scrambling to disperse resources to several threatening blazes.
In California, firefighters worked to gain control over the fifth-largest wildfire in state history.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis told reporters Wednesday afternoon that Boulder County authorities confirmed one fatality from the blaze and at least five homes have been destroyed as strong winds and dry heat hampered emergency responders' efforts to quell the flames.
In northern and central Colorado, three blazes that started this week led to waves of evacuation orders as they spread across more than 6,000 acres. As of Wednesday afternoon, Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen said about 4,000 people were evacuated on mandatory orders and 800 others fled their homes after voluntary evacuations were issued.
The most recent wildfire was spotted outside Denver Tuesday night and had intensified so quickly that first responders had to issue evacuation orders and go door-to-door to make sure people were aware of the threat.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Wednesday it had authorized funding for two of the largest blazes in Colorado, determining that "the fires threatened such destruction that it would constitute a major disaster." The Fire Management Assistance Grant will cover up to 75% of the state’s eligible firefighting costs.
In northern California, more than 5,700 personnel were battling the Park Fire, which has torched 609 square miles, an area larger than New York City. The inferno has been burning for one week and has forced more than 25,000 people to leave their homes. Local officials say the fire started after a man, who has since been arrested and charged with arson, pushed his mother's flaming car off a 60-foot embankment.
Meanwhile, Oregon's largest wildfire still posed a danger as the rain that had started to dwindle the flames gives way to another stretch of searing heat. Officials say lightning sparked the fire that has burned 459 square miles of land in eastern Oregon. As of Wednesday, it was 52% contained, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Over 3,400 square miles, an area twice the size of Rhode Island, have been charred by 95 large active wildfires spreading across the western U.S., according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Experts have blamed the intensity of the fires, in part, on heat waves and dry conditions made worse by climate change.
Nearly 600 homes evacuated near Denver as wildfire gains momentum
Around 9 p.m. Tuesday, a deputy patrolling a part of unincorporated Jefferson County, just southwest of Denver, saw “a little spot fire” that was only about 10 feet wide, Mark Techmeyer, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office said at a Wednesday morning news conference. Within three hours, the fire had spread across 100 acres of mountainous terrain.
Techmeyer said officials believe the fire has grown to 130 acres, though officials are awaiting a helicopter to give a precise figure later in the day. Multiple agencies responded overnight, and authorities issued reverse 911 messages and went door-to-door to wake people up and get them to leave. Nearly 600 homes have been evacuated.
An area high school has been turned into a shelter for evacuees, while the Jefferson County Fairgrounds took in large animals. No property has been damaged and no injuries have been reported, Techmeyer said.
Because of two major wildfires to the north, “resources are thin," Techmeyer said. Local officials have request air support, but are unsure if they'll receive any additional help on Wednesday. With over a dozen agencies responding to the blaze, there were only 70 to 80 firefighters on the ground, Techmeyer said.
"Everything is stacked against us," he said, noting the treacherous terrain and dangerously hot weather.
Dueling wildfires rage in northern Colorado
The Quarry Fire is the latest blaze to force people to flee their homes in Colorado as firefighters struggled to contain several fast-moving fires to the north.
The Alexander Mountain Fire has engulfed more than 5,000 acres of land west of Loveland, a city about 50 miles north of Denver. The blaze broke out on Monday and quadrupled on Tuesday, causing sweeping road closures and evacuations as hundreds of firefighters across the state battled the flames.
While the Alexander Mountain Fire was expanding, a new blaze erupted nearby. The Stone Canyon Fire forced evacuations in northern Colorado's Boulder County as well as neighboring Larimer and Lyons County as changing wind conditions spread the blaze in several directions.
As of Wednesday morning, the blaze torched at least two homes and spread across 1,320 acres. Boulder Disaster Management said in an update that there was "no significant growth overnight" and that, when it's safe to do so, "damage assessment teams will be in the field to determine structure loss."
Both the Stone Canyon Fire and the Alexander Mountain Fire, which had overlapping evacuation orders, were 0% contained. Meanwhile, temperatures on Wednesday were projected to reach the mid-90s, further hampering firefighters and fueling dry conditions.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued an air quality health advisory for parts of northern Colorado, including Fort Collins, Loveland and the surrounding areas because of the immense wildfire smoke.
California's Park Fire grows as more hot weather is forecast
Meanwhile, the fifth-largest wildfire in California history has continued to spread throughout four northern counties, causing over 25,000 people to flee from their homes and destroying at least 277 homes, businesses and other structures, mostly in Butte County, according to Cal Fire.
The Park Fire, which erupted near the city of Chico one week ago, has burned about 609 square miles, an area larger than Los Angeles. As of Wednesday morning, firefighters have contained it by 18%. State fire officials warned that "weather is expected to become much warmer and drier later this week."
The inferno was ignited last Wednesday when Ronnie Dean Stout II pushed his mother's flaming car into a gully, according to prosecutors. Stout, who says it was an accident and denied pushing the vehicle off an embankment, was arrested on Monday and charged with reckless arson and related charges. He's being held pending the completion of his arraignment Thursday.
South of the Park Fire, another blaze triggered evacuations and road closures as it "exhibits a moderate to dangerous rate of spread" since starting on Tuesday, according to Cal Fire. The so-called Pedro Fire has burned across 2,700 acres in Mariposa and Tuolumne counties, and threatens 350 homes, businesses and other structures.
Contributing: John Bacon, Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY; Sady Swanson and Rebecca Powell, The Coloradoan