Black Forest Wildfire Now Colorado’s Most Destructive; 380 Homes Burned

The wildfire that has menaced Colorado since June 11 is now the most destructive wildfire on state record, having burned more than 15,700 acres northeast of Colorado Springs and destroying about 380 homes.

The “Black Forest Fire” has killed two people. Firefighters contained just 5 percent of the blaze, near Colorado Springs, which has a population of approximately 426,388.

“We have had record-breaking temperatures this summer and in previous years, so our grass is dry and it very hot, which could be contributing to the spread of the fire,” said a Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association (RMIIA) spokeswoman on behalf of executive director Carol Walker.

The RMIIA says that insurance adjusters cannot access the burn area because mandatory evacuations are in place, and RMIIA's estimate of damages won't be available until next month. Farmers spokesman Mark Toohey says that the company has received 281 claims as of June 13.

The 2012 Waldo Canyon fire, the most destructive blaze in Colorado history, ruined 346 homes and killed two people south of Denver and caused $352.6 million in insured damages.

This week, 1,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes north of the state's second-largest city and a voluntary evacuation alert was posted for 2,000 homes in Colorado Springs proper, although no buildings have yet been damaged within urban limits.

Another fire has been identified in Royal Gorge, about 50 miles southwest of the Black Forest, where about three thousand acres have been lost, forcing the evacuation of more than 900 inmates from the nearby Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed off more than $10 million in emergency funds for the Black Forest Fire and its sister.

The El Paso County Sheriff told news sources that he suspects the wildfire may have been caused by arson or criminal negligence, and has launched an investigation into the case.