LOVELAND, Colo. —
A northern Colorado wildfire 60 miles away wrapped Denver in a pungent cloud of smoke for several hours Tuesday and complicated the aerial offensive against the spreading mountain blaze, which has killed one person and destroyed more than 100 structures.
Downtown Denver was shrouded in an orange glow before a blanket of cold air trapping the fire pollution evaporated. The foothills stretching north to Fort Collins were virtually obscured by smoke, while closer to the 68-square-mile blaze, visibility on some highways was just a mile.
State health officials urged the elderly, children and those prone to asthma to stay indoors.
Smoke temporarily grounded the air attack on the High Park Fire, centered some 15 miles northwest of Fort Collins. Helicopters and tanker planes took to the skies by midday.
Larimer County authorities allowed some residents to return home — but issued 25 more evacuation notices to residents on the fire’s western flank.
In southern New Mexico, firefighters made progress on a 56-square-mile fire that forced hundreds of residents to evacuate near the mountain village of Ruidoso. Some 125 homes and outbuildings have burned, and the damage assessment was continuing, said Kerry Gladden, a Ruidoso town spokeswoman.
Gov. Susana Martinez toured the area and declared a state of emergency to free funding and firefighting resources. “It’s truly heartbreaking to see the damage done to this beautiful part of the country,” Martinez said.
Wildfires in the drought-stricken West have tested federal resources.
U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell announced late Monday the agency was contracting eight heavy air tankers to increase the aging national fleet to 17.
Still, Colo. U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet urged President Barack Obama to sign a bill that would allow the Forest Service to buy as many as seven large air tankers outright. The U.S. House and Senate passed the bill last week.
In Colorado’s Larimer County, authorities and family said Linda Steadman, 62, perished inside her mountain cabin. Her home received two evacuation warnings that weren’t answered, and a firefighter tried to reach the cabin before fire overtook the site, Sheriff Justin Smith said.
Across the West:
—California: A wildfire that briefly threatened homes in Kern County is nearing containment.
—Colorado: The 68-square-mile High Park Fire is 5 percent contained. As many as 800 firefighters are expected on the lines by Wednesday. Ten air tankers and 14 water dropping helicopters are attacking the blaze.
—New Mexico: Nearly 1,000 firefighters and more than 200 National Guardsmen are battling the 56-square-mile Little Bear fire. Containment is 30 percent. More than 500 firefighters bolstered lines around the Gila fire, the country’s largest at 438 square miles.
—Utah: Two wildfires blackened 4,000 acres in Fishlake National Forest in southern Utah. A third fire believed to have been sparked by target shooting near Centerville, 15 miles north of Salt Lake City, was quickly contained late Monday.
—Wyoming: A 4-square-mile blaze at Guernsey State Park is 80 percent contained. Six helicopters and 600 firefighters are deployed. Firefighters contained 95 percent of a 13-square-mile fire in Medicine Bow National Forest and completely contained a 1,700-acre fire in Weston County.
National News
Related Photos
-
Traffic flows into the city of Denver on Interstate 25 as heavy smoke from the High Park wildfire near Fort Collins, Colo., shrouds the city on Tuesday, June 12, 2012. Authorities have issued health warnings as smoke and haze from the wildfire 60 miles to the north have blanketed the front range. AP Photo/Ed Andrieski
-
nationalnews.jpg
Discussion
Smoke from wildfire 60 miles away blankets Denver
- National News
-
-
Reputed Mafioso tip triggers new Hoffa body search
The FBI saw enough merit in a reputed Mafia captain’s tip to once again break out the digging equipment to search for the remains of former Teamsters union leader Jimmy Hoffa, last seen alive before a lunch meeting with two mobsters nearly 40 years ago.
-
Utah man shot in church upgraded to fair condition
It was a quiet part of the Father’s Day Mass as about 300 people stood up in preparation for communion.
-
Chrysler expected to formally refuse Jeep recall
In one of the biggest-ever showdowns between an automaker and the government, Chrysler on Tuesday is expected to file papers explaining its refusal to recall 2.7 million older Jeep SUVs that are at risk of catching fire in rear-end collisions.
-
House committee takes up tough immigration bill
A key committee in the Republican-led House moved Tuesday toward approving a tough enforcement-focused immigration bill, over objections from Democrats and disruptions from protesters shouting “Shame, shame, shame!”
-
Hitchhiking cat ’Mata Hairi’ headed home to Oregon
A well-traveled cat named “Mata Hairi” will soon be reunited with her owner after spending nearly 10 months traveling thousands of miles with a hitchhiker who rescued her from the rain.
-
For young immigrants, a delayed coming of age
As a child, Jorge Tume used to sit and do homework as his parents cleaned the desks and floors of a concrete company in Miami. When he was done, he’d take out the trash and help finish cleaning.
-
Court: Arizona citizenship proof law illegal
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that states cannot on their own require would-be voters to prove they are U.S. citizens before using a federal registration system designed to make signing up easier.
-
Fracking fuels water fights in nation’s dry spots
The latest domestic energy boom is sweeping through some of the nation’s driest pockets, drawing millions of gallons of water to unlock oil and gas reserves from beneath the Earth’s surface.
-
Ten more homes destroyed in Colorado wildfire
Firefighters were finally gaining some ground Friday on a wildfire in which two people were killed as they tried to escape and 389 homes were destroyed.
-
House passes sweeping $638 billion defense bill
The House overwhelmingly passed a sweeping, $638 billion defense bill on Friday that imposes new punishments on members of the armed services found guilty of rape or sexual assault as outrage over the crisis in the military has galvanized Congress.
- More National News Headlines
-
Raw: German President Welcomes President Obama
Fans Cheer Dramatic Heat Comeback
Raw: Arizona Wildfire Scorches 8 Square Miles
Hoffa Mystery Still Fascinates After 4 Decades
Raw: 1 Dead in Shooting at Mo. Apartment Complex
Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park
Raw: Obama Arrives in Berlin
3 Charged in Ohio With Enslaving Mom, Daughter
Obama Seeks G-8 Support on Syria
Raw: Volcano Erupts Near Mexico City
Kid Couture: Spending Big Bucks on Babies
Suicide Bombs Target Baghdad Mosque, Killing 29
Military Plans to Put Women in Combat Jobs
Solar Power Chargers in NYC Parks
Civil Rights Groups Sue NYPD Over Muslim Spying
Raw: First Lady, Daughters Enjoy Irish Sights
RAW: NSA Director Says 50 Plots Foiled
Boeing, Airbus Battle for Sales Supremacy
