Conifer, Colorado — Authorities say one person was killed and thousands were were evacuated in Denver on Monday when a four-and-half-square mile wildfire blazed through the western state of Colorado.
The fire, initially only about five acres when it was first reported, now covers more than 3,000 acres and has destroyed as many as 15 to 25 houses.
No information was released about the person who died but the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said it occurred in the fire zone.
Firefighters are hoping to get air tankers Tuesday to fight the fire.
“We’ve asked for air support and we’re hoping, crossing our fingers, that we get that tomorrow,” Jefferson County sheriff’s spokeswoman Jacki Kelley told ABC News on Monday. “We asked for it today and they simply couldn’t fly because it’s too dangerous.”
Kelly added the wildfire may have been a controlled burn from last week that was fanned back to life on a windy day.
CS Monitor writes that in addition to the Conifer wildfire, another fire burned up to 50 acres near Lookout Mountain west of Denver.
The sheriff’s department said residents of two homes were asked to evacuate.
The fire was contained late Monday.
Up to a dozen smaller fires were reported from the northeast Colorado plains to the southern part of the state Monday. There were no immediate reports of injuries or structures destroyed in any of the other fires.
For more information on the 2012 Conifer Colorado wildfire, watch the following news video:
