We are still on pre-evacuation notice and others have not yet been allowed to their homes in Redstone Canyon.
Fires continue to erupt and rage across Colorado. Please join me in sending protective energy to ALL affected by the fires.
(CNN) — Predicted thunderstorms could complicate efforts Wednesday to tame an explosive wildfire that has already chased some 32,000 residents from their homes near Colorado Springs, Colorado. The fire doubled in size overnight and by Wednesday morning, 15,324 acres were burning with only 5% contained, said Rich Harvey, incident commander of the Waldo Canyon Fire.
“The fire conditions could not be worse,” said Anne Rys-Sikora, spokeswoman for a multi-agency fire response team. “It is like a convection oven out there.”
Colorado Springs set a record high of 101 on Tuesday as firefighters contended with brutal conditions, including ash falling on highways and neighborhoods. Officials rushed in crews and aerial equipment in a bid to slow the fire.
The forecast stays hot and dry for the foreseeable future, with daytime highs not falling out of the 90s until early next week, according to the National Weather Service.
Dave Barjenbruch, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Boulder, said the past week has been hellish across Colorado.
“Even in the foothills, where most of the fires are going on, most days have been in the single-digit humidity,” he said.
Meanwhile, a new fire in Boulder, northwest of Denver, prompted pre-evacuation notices to 2,300 phone numbers.
Six other wildfires were active in the state, according to the Colorado Division of Emergency Management.
The largest of the fires was the High Park Fire, which began June 9 and caused our evacuation, now has consumed 87,284 acres, the U.S. Forest Service said. It was 65% contained Tuesday. The total number of homes lost rose to 257. An estimated $33.1 million has been spent trying to contain the blaze.
