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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Colorado homes engulfed by wildfire
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Hundreds of homes have been destroyed by an out-of-control Colorado wildfire that has forced more than 30,000 people to flee, officials said Thursday.
Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach said a more accurate account will be available later in the day. An Associated Press aerial photo taken of one neighbourhood Wednesday showed hundreds of heavily damaged or destroyed homes.
Tens of thousands of residents of Colorado's second-largest city took refuge with friends or family and crammed into hotels and shelters as army troops helped firefighters protect the U.S. Air Force Academy from the roaring flames.
The wildfire was just one of many burning across the parched region that have destroyed structures and prompted evacuations in Montana and Utah.
The White House said U.S. President Barack Obama will tour fire-stricken areas of Colorado today and thank firefighters battling some of the worst fires to hit the region in decades. Colorado is also considered a key battleground state in the presidential election in November.
Officials said it was still too dangerous for investigators to begin tracking down the cause of the fire. El Paso County sheriff's Lt. Jeff Kramer said U.S. Forest Service agents were waiting for firefighting commanders to indicate it was safe for them to enter the burned area.
The full scope of the fire remained unknown. The flames and smoke were so intense rescue workers weren't able to tell residents which structures were destroyed and which ones were still standing.
-- The Associated Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 29, 2012 A24
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