Colorado wildfire forces evacuations; hot, dry forecast promises little relief

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By KIM NGUYEN / The Associated Press

WETMORE, Colo. — A wildfire that had forced more than 80 people to flee their homes continued growing Saturday and more homeowners were put on alert for possible evacuations.

Saturday's weather forecast provided little hope of relief from temperatures in the 90s, gusty wind and dry storms packed with lightning.

Glen and Eileen Copper moved their grandchildren and a menagerie of animals from their 80 acres Friday when the smell of smoke seeped into their house.

"One minute we didn't see anything and thought it was OK," Eileen Copper said. "Five minutes later, the sky was red and the house smelled like smoke."

Some residents left sprinklers going on their roofs, and fire crews were stationed through Greenwood, a small community near Wetmore, about 25 miles west of Pueblo.

The fire in the Wet Mountains had covered up to 2,000 acres, officials said Saturday.

The wet winter had not helped reduce the fire threat.

"One year of good moisture cannot overcome a long-term drought. The fuel moistures are still extremely low," said fire behavior specialist Bob Irvine.

The fire also had entered Pueblo County, where residents of about 40 houses were put on alert and told to make preparations in case they needed to be evacuated.

Officials had no estimate of when crews would be able to contain the blaze, which was believed to be sparked by lightning.

"People were afraid, but it was very orderly. Nobody really panicked," fire information officer Steve Segin said. "I saw cars that were full of children, full of dogs. This one car had five dachshunds in it."

The blaze was reported Wednesday in dense ponderosa and pinon pine and oak brush on rugged terrain in the San Isabel National Forest.

As of Friday, 15 large wildfires were burning across nearly 700,000 acres in the West, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Associated Press writers Catherine Tsai in Wetmore and Don Mitchell in Denver contributed to this story.