Firefighters Make Gains in Fight Against Colo. Blazes

Firefighters blessed by cooler weather on Friday made headway against two wildfires smoldering in the mountains west of Denver as residents began returning home.

After three days of hot, windy weather in the high 80s, temperatures fell at least 30 degrees, and clouds blanketed the foothills, boosting humidity.

Nearly 1,500 firefighters worked to stamp out the flames, and air tankers and helicopters dropped fire retardant and water.

Snow fell as firefighters poured water on hot spots left in a fire east of Rocky Mountain National Park, where nearly 8,100 acres and 15 homes had burned. That fire was 40% contained.

“We’re just mopping up,” said volunteer firefighter Jerry Fullerton of Boulder County.

Authorities also identified a suspect who may have started the fire while camping in the area. They said the 33-year-old Loveland resident has retained a lawyer and refused to talk with sheriff’s deputies. No arrest has been made.

The cooler weather was expected to linger through Sunday, giving crews hope they could get a handle on the persistent fires that have raged out of control since Monday.

“The fire is really laying down, the humidity is up and there is less wind,” firefighter Adam Stepanich said.

At least 39 homes and an estimated 10,950 acres of wooded foothills have burned 35 miles southwest of Denver. On Friday, authorities said that blaze was about 25% contained.

Southwest of Denver, residents living in temporary shelters cheered when authorities said some could go back home.

“We’re ecstatic. We’ll get our life back to normal,” said Cameron Wright, 29, hugging his wife, Lori, as she fought back tears.

“I’m pretty sure the house is still standing. My answering machine picks up anyway,” said Lula Ellsworth, 40, whose home is in the Park County area about 35 miles southwest of Denver.

Near the national park, evacuees were being allowed to collect belongings but not stay in their homes.

The blazes are the latest in what is shaping up as the nation’s worst fire season since 1996. The National Interagency Fire Center in Idaho reported that more than 45,000 fires this season have burned 1.2 million acres.