Colorado forest fires destroy more than 100 homes; "extreme caution" urged across the West



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DENVER – A growing forest fire destroyed more than 100 homes in Colorado's mountains, while other fires crossed the parched US West and jeopardized hundreds of houses. 19659002] Authorities announced late Monday that a fire near Fort Garland, about 205 miles southwest of Denver, had destroyed 104 homes in a mountain housing estate built by multimillionaire publisher Malcolm Forbes in the 1970s. The number of damages could increase because the burned area is still monitored

The Tamara Estes family cabin, built by his parents in 1963 using wood and stones from the ground, has was destroyed among the houses

. sinking more now, but we are just crying, "she said. "My grandmother's antique dining table and her hutch are gone."

"It was a sacred place for us," she adds.

Andy and Robyn Kuehler watch the flames approaching their main home in Nebraska

"We just received confirmation last night that the house had completely disappeared, that's … a feeling very disgusting to see the fire come to the house, "the couple wrote in an email on Tuesday.

The fire, known as the Spring Fire, is one of six big forest fires that burn in Colorado and is the largest at 123 square miles – about five times the size of Manhattan .

According to CBS Denver, 52-year-old Jesper Joergensen is accused of having started the fire. The authorities claim that Joergensen cooked meat in an outdoor fire on June 26 and was not careful to confirm that the embers were extinguished

Other fires, including one that started to burn in the middle of nature near Fairplay, were triggered by lightning.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, nearly 60 large active flames burn in the West, including nine in New Mexico and six in Utah and in California . evacuated from 200 to 300 homes due to a growing wildfire near a popular fishing reservoir southeast of Salt Lake City amid warm temperatures and high winds. Several structures have been lost since the fire started on Sunday, but it's unclear how much, said Jason Curry of the Utah Division of Forest, Fire and State Lands.

Darren Lewis and his extended family planned to spend the 4th of July at a hut built almost 50 years ago by his father and uncle in a wilderness nestled between canyons and near a mountain river .

Lewis and his family will spend the holidays nervously waiting to hear if half a century of memories "There is a lot of history and memories in this cabin," said Lewis, 44 from Magna, Utah. "The hut we could rebuild, but the trees we love would have disappeared, we just hope the wind will blow in the other direction."

Meanwhile, a wind-powered forest fire threatened more than 900 buildings south of San Francisco. The massive fire smothered the skies with ash and smoke, prompting some officials to cancel the July 4th fireworks and encourage people to stay inside to protect themselves unhealthy air

. The fire continued to spread, said Anthony Brown, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. warm and dry. It was 15 percent content on Tuesday.

"The weather is better than we had over the weekend, but it still hampers our efforts and is a cause for concern," he said. burned 4,200 square miles in the United States, according to the fire center. It's a bit below last year's area – which included the start of the devastating California fire season – but above the 10-year average of 3,600 square miles

. campfires or fireworks trigger new fires due to dry and hot conditions. In Colorado, many communities have canceled fireworks, and a number of federal lands and counties have put in place fire restrictions, banning campfires or smoking at the same time. outside

. the lands have been closed since before Memorial Day. Some cities have canceled fireworks because of the danger of extreme fire.

In New Mexico, all or part of the three national forests remain closed due to the threat of a fire, putting a brake on holiday camping plans. Forests that are open have strict rules, especially with regard to fireworks.

"We are only urging people to be extremely cautious," said Wendy Mason, spokesperson for the New Mexico Forest Division. "We want people to have fun and have fun, but we prefer that they leave the fireworks shows to the professionals."

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