One of the most damaging fires in Colorado history has forced the evacuation or more than 1,000 homes and has razed at least 135 houses. In the foothills west of Boulder, firefighters battled on Wednesday to cordon off about 10 percent of the fire that has spread over around 6,200 acres, or 10 square miles. Residents watched nervously to see whether their homes would survive the blaze. Meanwhile, firefighters sprayed more than 100,000 gallons of flame retardant, trying to take advantage of cooler weather and light rain. Around 500 firefighters and other workers are attacking the fire, which has already eclipsed the damage of the 2002 Hayman fire in southern Colorado that destroyed 133 homes over 138,000 acres in an area with lower population density.See these AOL guides on a related topic:
