360 homes destroyed in Colorado fire

BLACK FOREST, Colo. (KDVR) –  The Black Forest Fire has destroyed 360 homes making it the most destructive fire in Colorado history, officials said Thursday.

Photo courtesy KDVR

Another 14 homes have been damaged, said El Paso County Sheriff Sheriff Terry Maketa during a Thursday morning briefing.

He said 1,205 homes inside the fire area appeared to be unaffected.

LINK:Black Forest Fire – Residences June 13, 9 a.m.

The fire almost doubled in size Wednesday and had burned 15,000 acres with 0 percent containment, Maketa said.

About 38,000 people in 13,000 homes have been affected by the fire.

“Those numbers are pretty devastating,” Maketa said.

The inferno is likely to continue for a couple more days as temperatures are forecast to stay in the 90s through Friday, with winds gusting up to 30 mph.

“We are watching the weather conditions very closely,” Maketa said adding that “wind is probably our No. 1 threat. It is what has been the game changer.”

A Type I incident command team has arrived and taken command of the fire. The team is considered the most experienced in fighting large fires and is led by Cmdr. Rich Harvey, who led the battle against the Waldo Canyon Fire last year.

Maketa said firefighters have a plan of attack for Thursday and will be using a combination of air and ground resources on the fire.

Fort Carson had 130 National Guard troops standing by to assist including patrolling evacuated areas, setting up road blocks and supporting firefighters, said Lt. Col. Mitch Utterback.

Fort Carson also sent five helicopters to make water drops.

There were no reports of casualties, but one person might be missing, Maketa said.  This area where the missing person is said to be at is too hot for firefighters to move into.