Wildfires Off to Roaring Start; Fire Crews Stretched Thin

An animation of images from NASA's Terra satellite showing true color and false color views of the Black Forest Fire burning near Colorado Springs. Click for a larger version. (Animation by Tom Yulsman. Imagery: NASA.) A wildfire raging in the wooded Black Forest area just northeast of Colorado Springs, Colorado's second largest city, has already consumed an estimated 8,500 acres — an area more than half the size of Manhattan Island. Primed by high temperatures and dry conditions, the blaze has triggered the evacuation of up to 9,500 people and destroyed 92 homes. It could grow by another 3,000 acres.UPDATE 4:00 p.m. Thursday: Since I posted the original version of this story, the Black Forest Fire has grown to more than 15,000 acres — larger than Manhattan island — and has destroyed 360 homes. This makes it the most destructive fire in Colorado history, surpassing last year's nearby Waldo Canyon ...