Thousands of people are being forced to evacuate in Colorado as wildfires spread | Weather News

The Aspen Acres fire, one of the 40 wildfires to burn in the western US, has destroyed homes and displaced people.

A wildfire burning southwest of Denver has forced thousands to evacuate, as storms continue to fan wildfires in southern Colorado.

The fire is one of about 40 large fires burning in the western United States.

Dubbed the Aspen Acres Fire, the fire exploded in size, growing by 44 square kilometers (17 miles) overnight to reach 272sq kilometers (105sq miles) by Friday.

More than 160 houses have been destroyed by fire. Experts say dry months and heavy snowfall in some parts of the region – a result of climate change – have contributed to the fires.

Officials have ordered the evacuation of about 2,200 people from Colorado City, along with residents of the nearby towns of Beulah, Rye and San Isabel.

Smoke from the wildfires has also disrupted travel, with emergency officials in Colorado warning that visibility in parts of Interstate 25 has been reduced to half a mile – or 0.8 kilometers.

As the fire continued to spread, about 50 Colorado National Guard soldiers were dispatched to the public scene at Pueblo and Custer streets and helped keep boats away from the Pueblo Reservoir, where crews were getting water to fight the fire.

Investigators said the Aspen Acres Fire was human-caused, but did not release other details.

The Aspen Acres Fire is one of the wildfires ravaging Colorado and neighboring states.

For example, firefighters are about 65 percent contained to the Snyder Fire west of the Rocky Mountains, on the border of Colorado and Utah.

In Utah, another fire – the Cottonwood Fire – had grown to more than 380sq kilometers (147sq miles) by Friday, while the Babylon Fire reached 344sq kilometers (133sq miles).

The latest fire comes in less than a week three firefighters were killed, and two others were injured when they were caught in the fire while fighting two fires, part of Snyder’s house.

Smoke tips are actually in parts of Colorado, and concerns about wildfires are reshaping local 4th of July celebrations.

The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control said several fire displays have already been canceled due to the fire threat, and many areas are now under fire restrictions.

The National Weather Service maintained Red Flag Warnings in many places in the state on Friday, they say that hot, dry, low humidity and strong winds will continue to cause very difficult conditions.

While forecasters said wet weather over the weekend would help reduce the risk, they also warned that heavy rains could lead to flash flooding in areas that have recently burned.