Firefighters Continue to Battle Colorado Wildfire
Firefighters were hoping to make more progress Thursday on a deadly wildfire that torched more than 4,000 acres in a mountainous area near Denver.
After feverish battles by more than 500 firefighters, authorities said the blaze was about 15% contained Wednesday.
The Colorado Forest Service apologized for the wildfire after it was revealed that it was caused by a “controlled” burn that got out of control, killing at least two people.
“This is heartbreaking and we’re sorry,” State Forester Joe Duda told reporters Wednesday about the Lower North Fork Fire, which has scorched 4,140 acres in Jefferson County, destroying or damaging 27 houses and leaving a woman missing in addition to the two fatalities.
The revelation pushed Gov. John Hickenlooper to suspend such burns. A team is being formed to investigate how last Thursday’s controlled burn re-erupted on Monday as a wildfire.