Major Wildfires Take Over Parts of Colorado and New Mexico

Early Saturday, a lightning ignited an area of land near Fort Collins, northwest of Denver. Ever since, firefighters have been battling the flames, but the fire somehow continues to spread.

Recent reports classify it as Colorado's third largest wildfire, with 43,000 acres of land being severely affected by it.

Initially, 500 firefighters were sent to try and fight back the blazes, and as of today their numbers are supposed to have nearly doubled. As well as this, 14 helicopters and 5 heavy air tankers were sent to the region.

The plan is to have these helicopters and air tankers drop water on the burning forests, while the firefighters on the ground try to prevent the fire from spreading even further.

Despite sustained efforts on behalf of the firefighters, not all people were successfully evacuated in time, and a 62-year-old woman lost her life.

Meanwhile, as Raw Story reports, firefighters in New Mexico struggle to contain another wildfire that up until now destroyed more than 36,000 acres of land.

Whilst the weather in Colorado doesn't seem to be working in favor of the firemen here, seeing how the air is mostly dry and the wind keeps shifting directions, weather conditions in New Mexico have aided in having roughly 37% of the burning area under control by now.

By comparison, only 10% of Colorado's wildfire is presently contained.

It is expected that firefighters will have to continue battling the flames throughout the course of the following weeks, as wildfires of such magnitude can't be dealt with in just a few days.

For the time being, the people who used to live in these areas are to still keep away from their homes.

The states of Arizona, California, Utah and Wyoming are also faced with having to tackle smaller-scale wildfires, as this year's drought and heat season takes its toll on the environment and on US citizens.