Structures burn in the Waldo Canyon wildfire, creating a glow above the western side of Colorado Springs, Colo., June 26, 2012.
Flames are spreading quickly across Colorado, where firefighters are locked in a desperate battle to save homes and lives.
Officials said Wednesday the Waldo Canyon Fire had doubled in size to more than 6,200 hectares and that the flames were so intense that it was difficult to assess the damage.
Already, the fire has forced the evacuation of 32,000 people from their homes in the state's second largest city, Colorado Springs, including hundreds of residents living on the grounds of the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Wildfires Rage Throughout Colorado
1/16Smoke hovers over the I-25 north of Colorado Springs.
Wildfires across the western U.S. state of Colorado have prompted the evacuation of 32,000 residents. One resident described the flames as looking like "hell was opening up."
2/16The Waldo Canyon wildfire burns as it moved into subdivisions and destroyed homes in Colorado Springs, Colorado, June 26, 2012.
Wildfires across the western U.S. state of Colorado have prompted the evacuation of 32,000 residents. One resident described the flames as looking like "hell was opening up."
3/16A C-130 military cargo plane drops thousands of gallons of retardant on the Waldo Canyon.
Wildfires across the western U.S. state of Colorado have prompted the evacuation of 32,000 residents. One resident described the flames as looking like "hell was opening up."
4/16Smoke from the Waldo Canyon fire engulfs a highway in Colorado.
Wildfires across the western U.S. state of Colorado have prompted the evacuation of 32,000 residents. One resident described the flames as looking like "hell was opening up."
5/16Smoke rises from the Waldo Canyon fire.
Wildfires across the western U.S. state of Colorado have prompted the evacuation of 32,000 residents. One resident described the flames as looking like "hell was opening up."
6/16Smoke billows from a wildfire burning near Colorado Springs, Colorado, June 24, 2012.
Wildfires across the western U.S. state of Colorado have prompted the evacuation of 32,000 residents. One resident described the flames as looking like "hell was opening up."
7/16People watch a giant smoke plume rising from the Waldo Canyon Fire during sunset, west of Colorado Springs.
Wildfires across the western U.S. state of Colorado have prompted the evacuation of 32,000 residents. One resident described the flames as looking like "hell was opening up."
8/16Fire rages through the forest in the High Park fire west of Fort Collins, Colorado, June 19, 2012.
Wildfires across the western U.S. state of Colorado have prompted the evacuation of 32,000 residents. One resident described the flames as looking like "hell was opening up."
9/16A helicopter drops a load of water above the High Park wildfire.
Wildfires across the western U.S. state of Colorado have prompted the evacuation of 32,000 residents. One resident described the flames as looking like "hell was opening up."
10/16Smoke clouds Manitou Avenue in Manitou Springs, Colorado, June 24, 2012.
Wildfires across the western U.S. state of Colorado have prompted the evacuation of 32,000 residents. One resident described the flames as looking like "hell was opening up."
11/16The downtown skyline of Denver is obscured by smoke from the many wildfires burning in the state.
Wildfires across the western U.S. state of Colorado have prompted the evacuation of 32,000 residents. One resident described the flames as looking like "hell was opening up."
12/16Firefighters from the Monument, Colorado fire department in a base camp near the High Park wildfire.
Wildfires across the western U.S. state of Colorado have prompted the evacuation of 32,000 residents. One resident described the flames as looking like "hell was opening up."
13/16People watch smoke billowing from wildfires west of Colorado Springs.
Wildfires across the western U.S. state of Colorado have prompted the evacuation of 32,000 residents. One resident described the flames as looking like "hell was opening up."
14/16An aerial view shows the High Park wildfire near Fort Collins, Colorado.
Wildfires across the western U.S. state of Colorado have prompted the evacuation of 32,000 residents. One resident described the flames as looking like "hell was opening up."
15/16Smoke plumes from wildfires in Colorado are pictured in this satellite image.
Wildfires across the western U.S. state of Colorado have prompted the evacuation of 32,000 residents. One resident described the flames as looking like "hell was opening up."
16/16Flames explode near houses in a mountain subdivision, west of Colorado Springs.
Wildfires across the western U.S. state of Colorado have prompted the evacuation of 32,000 residents. One resident described the flames as looking like "hell was opening up."
Previous slide
Next slide
Colorado Springs Fire Chief Rich Brown said the fire had reached "epic proportions."
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper surveyed the fire from the air Tuesday night, flying over in a helicopter. He said this is now the worst fire season in the state's history.
Authorities say the fire has consumed numerous homes, including a historic ranch that attracts hundreds of tourists each year. Highways and major roads were choked with residents fleeing the evacuated areas, as huge plumes of smoke from the fire filled the skies above.
The Waldo Canyon Fire started last Saturday in Pike National Forest. The blaze has been fueled by several days of hot weather, with record-setting temperatures soaring above 37 degrees Celsius.
Authorities say it is only five percent contained.
The Waldo Canyon Fire is one of several massive wildfires that have raged across much of the western United States in recent weeks, including one in northern Colorado. One person has been confirmed dead in a wildfire in the nearby state of Utah that forced authorities to shut down a major roadway.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.
