Wildfires Erupt in Colorado, New Mexico, California; Hundreds of Homes Threatened

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Wildfires Burn in the West

It has been a warm dry spring in parts of the West. There is concern about wildfires this summer in the region. Firefighters are already battling several fires already.

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Three separate wildfires have forced evacuations in California, Colorado and New Mexico.

The so-called 416 Fire in Colorado has burned into the San Juan National Forest and spurred more than 800 homes to be evacuated.

Fourteen buildings have been destroyed in the New Mexico inferno, and hundreds of homes are threatened, officials said.

A fire also erupted Saturday near Laguna Beach, California.

Fires in Colorado, New Mexico and California have forced evacuations amid dry conditions and severe drought.

A quickly spreading wildfire in southwestern Colorado has spurred evacuations for over 800 homes, La Plata County officials told the Associated Press.

The blaze, dubbed the 416 Fire, was spotted north of Durango Friday morning and was being fueled by shifting winds onto the San Juan National Forest. More than 3 square miles were scorched by Monday morning. The fire is 10 percent contained.

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In addition to the more than 800 homes evacuated, another 700 homes were told to be ready to leave on a moment's notice. About 500 residences are threatened in the Highway 550 corridor, according to InciWeb, a government incident information system.

Highway 550 was partially reopened Sunday, according to CBS Denver, but the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad canceled all rides through June 10 due to the severe fire danger.

Several witnesses have indicated that the inferno was sparked by someone near the train tracks, but no official cause has been released, according to the Durango Herald.

Ute Park Fire, New Mexico

Residents have been ordered to evacuate an area of northern New Mexico as an aggressive wildfire quickly burned more than 56 square miles of land through the weekend.

The so-called Ute Park Fire destroyed 14 unoccupied structures at the Boy Scouts' Philmont Ranch overnight as it burned near Highway 64 in Ute Park. More than 200 buildings in Ute Park are threatened by the fire, and some 550 structures are threatened in Cimarron, according to KOAT.com.

Precipitation helped firefighters battle the blaze Sunday, and it is now 23 percent contained, according to InciWeb.

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Cimarron is under a mandatory evacuation order, according to KOB.com, but Cimarron was not in any imminent danger according to Cimarron village Councilor Matthew Gonzales. After the wildfire jumped Highway 64, the roadway was closed between Cimarron and Eagle Nest, the Taos News said. Several other roads in the area were also closed.

Officials also said the fire danger forced the closure of the Santa Fe National Forest Friday morning, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. It will remain closed until conditions improve, the report added.

"Under current conditions, one abandoned campfire could cause a catastrophic wildfire, and we are not willing to take that chance with the natural and cultural resources under our protection and care," National Forest Supervisor James Melonas said in a statement to the Santa Fe New Mexican.

Northern New Mexico has been in a prolonged period of extreme drought. Areas in and around Ute Park are currently in exceptional drought – the worst category – according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Aliso Fire, California

A new fire erupted near Laguna Beach, California, Saturday afternoon, forcing evacuations that have since been lifted.

Residents of some 2,000 Aliso Viejo homes were allowed to return late Saturday night after they were evacuated earlier in the day, the AP reported. Evacuations continued for some Laguna Beach neighborhoods, including Top of the World and Old Top of the World.

The fire, named the Aliso Fire, grew to 150 acres in Aliso Viejo and Laguna Beach's Top of the World neighborhood, according to the Los Angeles Times.

More than 400 firefighters battled the blaze, which is now 40 percent contained, according to Orange County. The cause of the fire is unknown.

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