2 Wildfires Tear Through Colorado Mountains

DENVER —  Two wind-driven wildfires in the Colorado Front Range burned out of control Wednesday, engulfing more than 13,000 acres in blazes that have burned dozens of houses and forced hundreds to evacuate their homes.

The two fires, Hi Meadow, southwest of Denver, and the Bobcat, north of Denver, were each estimated at 6,640 acres, said Lynn Young, fire information officer at the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center. About 1,000 firefighters were on the scene and more were expected to arrive.

The Hi Meadow fire, sparked by lightning, has caused more damage, destroying 39 homes and other structures, compared with five in the Bobcat fire, officials said. Officials said an illegal campfire was the cause of the Bobcat fire.

Firefighters hoped to be able to contain about 25% of the Hi Meadow fire overnight Wednesday.

But most attention was focused on forecasts of an approaching cold front. “That’s bad news for firefighters,” Young said. “Because erratic winds come ahead of a cold front.”

Such winds spell trouble because it becomes dangerous to place firefighters at the front line, Young said. “It’s too difficult to predict which way the fire might go,” he said.

A third small fire broke out Wednesday near Boulder, but firefighters were quickly sent and officials said they expected the blaze to be under control soon.