Multiple wildfires in U.S. Colorado burn homes, force evacuation

Smoke from several major wildfires on Thursday ringed Colorado Springs, Colorado’s second-largest city, torching eight homes, closing the city’s airport and causing thousands of evacuations, as dry conditions and heavy winds spread the blazes quickly throughout the area.

As night fell on Colorado Springs, dozens of fire crews from across the region responded to the grass fires and were “gaining the upper hand,” according to Denver CBS4 News.

According to Colorado Public Radio, one fire engulfed eight homes, where 500 homes were emptied and 1,000 residents were evacuated to a nearby fitness center. 50 firefighters responded to the blaze that saw several propane tanks venting flames 15 meters in the air.

Meanwhile, a fire east of the town forced 50 residents to evacuate prompting Colorado Springs Airport to issue a shelterin-place order for about an hour, according to Colorado Springs Fire Department Fire Marshall Brett Lacey.

About 100 firefighters, 28 deputies and 63 police officers assisted with battling the fires and evacuations.

According to First Alert 5 Weather Forecast, strong to dangerous winds and extremely low daytime relative humidity helped create extreme fire conditions in southern Colorado.