Fire besieges Colorado town

DEL NORTE, Colo. – A massive wildfire threatened a tourist town in Colorado’s southwestern mountains on Friday, forcing its roughly 400 residents to flee ahead of the fast-burning blaze fueled by hot, windy weather.

Wildland firefighters teamed up with local firefighters to try to protect South Fork, which is surrounded by the Rio Grande National Forest. State authorities said the 47-square-mile fire was a few miles southwest of town Friday night and had been advancing at a rate of about a mile an hour.

Fire spokeswoman Penny Bertram wouldn’t speculate on the likelihood of the town burning. There’s a high probability of the fire reaching the town if the fire continues to behave as it has, she said, though more than 30 fire engines were assigned to protect it.

An air tanker was also able to drop slurry ahead of the fire to try to slow its growth and to give firefighters a chance to dig a fire break, Bertram said.

“Every type of structure protection is in place,” Jim Jaminet, fire management officer for the national forest, told about two dozen evacuees who gathered at Del Norte High School on Friday night.