COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado Firefighters worked to get more people forced to evacuate by Colorado's most destructive wildfire back home Sunday by digging up and extinguishing hot spots to protect homes still standing near Colorado Springs.
The labor-intensive work is necessary because extremely dry grass and trees could quickly ignite if wind stirs up one of those hot spots. The grass has less than 3 percent humidity, which incident command spokesman Brandon Hampton said is about as bad as having matches lying on the ground in the densely-wooded Black Forest.
"We want to get people back in their homes and resuming normal lives, and we want to do it as quickly and safely as we can," Hampton said.
Nearly 500 homes have been burned by the fire, which is 55 percent contained after advances in recent days thanks in part to lighter winds. It's now estimated to be about 22 square miles and crews hope to have it fully contained by Thursday.
Evacuees outside the burn area have already been allowed back. Residents of areas burned by the fire were able to return briefly to see the devastation Saturday.
Bob and Barbara Metzger lost their home, while nearby their SUV, clotheslines and surrounding trees were spared.
"As long as the world around me looks the same, I'll be fine," Barbara Metzger said, showing a photo of her burnt home with surviving trees around. "We'll rebuild."
Authorities have also gained a clearer picture of a grim landscape in a burn area covering 25 square miles.
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[h=3]Wildfires rage in Colorado[/h]
El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said the fire's destruction has made it difficult for his deputies to assess damage. Deputies say "it looks like a nuclear bomb went off in some of those areas, and you can't even recognize whether it was a house or some other kind of structure," Maketa said. "That is the level of incineration and destruction that took place in some areas."
The fire exploded Tuesday amid record-setting heat and tinder-dry conditions. Two people have died, their bodies found inside their garage Thursday. Their car doors were open as though they had been about to flee, authorities said.
It's unknown what sparked the blaze, but investigators believe it was human-caused. So far, it's cost more than $5.2 million to fight.
The site of the wildfire is only a few miles away from the state's second most destructive wildfire, the Waldo Canyon Fire, which burned last summer.
The labor-intensive work is necessary because extremely dry grass and trees could quickly ignite if wind stirs up one of those hot spots. The grass has less than 3 percent humidity, which incident command spokesman Brandon Hampton said is about as bad as having matches lying on the ground in the densely-wooded Black Forest.
"We want to get people back in their homes and resuming normal lives, and we want to do it as quickly and safely as we can," Hampton said.
Nearly 500 homes have been burned by the fire, which is 55 percent contained after advances in recent days thanks in part to lighter winds. It's now estimated to be about 22 square miles and crews hope to have it fully contained by Thursday.
Evacuees outside the burn area have already been allowed back. Residents of areas burned by the fire were able to return briefly to see the devastation Saturday.
Bob and Barbara Metzger lost their home, while nearby their SUV, clotheslines and surrounding trees were spared.
"As long as the world around me looks the same, I'll be fine," Barbara Metzger said, showing a photo of her burnt home with surviving trees around. "We'll rebuild."
Authorities have also gained a clearer picture of a grim landscape in a burn area covering 25 square miles.
[h=3]Wildfires rage in Colorado[/h]
El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said the fire's destruction has made it difficult for his deputies to assess damage. Deputies say "it looks like a nuclear bomb went off in some of those areas, and you can't even recognize whether it was a house or some other kind of structure," Maketa said. "That is the level of incineration and destruction that took place in some areas."
The fire exploded Tuesday amid record-setting heat and tinder-dry conditions. Two people have died, their bodies found inside their garage Thursday. Their car doors were open as though they had been about to flee, authorities said.
It's unknown what sparked the blaze, but investigators believe it was human-caused. So far, it's cost more than $5.2 million to fight.
The site of the wildfire is only a few miles away from the state's second most destructive wildfire, the Waldo Canyon Fire, which burned last summer.