WOODLAND PARK, Colo.—Heavy smoke billowed over an upscale neighborhood north of Colorado Springs on Tuesday as firefighters battled to keep a wildfire from burning houses and advancing toward the Air Force Academy.
The Waldo Canyon fire was less than 5 miles from the southwest corner of the academy’s 28-square-mile campus, fire information officer Greg Heule said. Winds appeared to be pushing the fire to the west of the school.
Television video showed smoke and flames relatively close to large houses on big lots in a heavily forested neighborhood northwest of Colorado Springs. There were no immediate reports of homes burning.
At the High Park fire in northern Colorado, authorities increased the number of homes destroyed to 257, saying they found nine homes that hadn’t been counted earlier. They said no additional homes had burned in the past two days.
The fires were among at least a half-dozen burning across the state amid dangerously dry conditions and 100-degree temperatures.
The Waldo Canyon fire west of Colorado Springs grew about 1 square mile overnight to 8 square miles.
About 5,000 people remained evacuated.
The fire, which started Saturday, was 5 percent contained. The cause was under investigation.
Two specially equipped Air Force C-130 planes helped fight the fire Monday. A third is expected Tuesday.
Some hiking trails leading west from the academy campus have been closed, but the new class of cadets is still scheduled to report on Thursday, Tech Sgt. Raymond Hoy said.
“We are open for business,” he said.
Sightings of deer and bear on campus have increased since Monday, Hoy said, probably because the animals are fleeing the fire.
School health officials are monitoring air quality and commanders are discussing what precautions they might take if the fire moves closer.
The High Park fire 15 miles west of Fort Collins grew to about 136 square miles and was 55 percent contained. The fire killed one person. The 257 homes destroyed is a state record.
Lightning started the fire on June 9.
Incident commander Beth Lund said she was optimistic about holding and extending fire lines despite hot, dry weather.
Temperatures were expected to hit or exceed 100 degrees in Denver, Burlington, Pueblo and Grand Junction on Tuesday, with possible highs of 106 degrees on the eastern plains, the National Weather Service said.
On Monday, Denver set a record with 105 degrees. The previous record for June 25 was 100 degrees in 1991.
The Last Chance grass fire on Colorado’s eastern plains was fully contained after destroying four homes, 10 outbuildings and a county bridge.
The fire grew from a few acres to 70 square miles Monday. The fire was 60 miles east of Denver.
“It was taking out about everything in its path,” Washington County Sherriff Larry Kuntz said.
The fire was started by sparks from a tire blowout, Kuntz said. The driver was not injured.
Some of the other fires burning in Colorado on Tuesday:
— The Little Sand fire had burned 34 square miles 13 miles northwest of Pagosa Springs. It was 29 percent contained.
— The Weber fire six miles south of Mancos had burned 14 square miles and was 15 percent contained.
— The Treasure fire five miles northeast of Leadville had burned about one-half square mile and was also 10 percent contained.
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Associated Press Writer Rema Rahman in Denver contributed to this report.
