Wild fires are spreading through Colorado in one of the worst wildfire seasons in 10 years and the fires are affecting popular Colorado tourist areas.
Over the weekend, the flames destroyed several houses and affected several travel destinations. The fires destroyed two dozen homes near Rocky Mountain National Park. On Saturday 21 structures were destroyed near the mountainous area of Estes Park where tourists stay while visiting the national park. On Sunday, the wildfire near Colorado Springs spread over six square miles and forced 11,000 residents to evacuate the area. Hotels and campgrounds at the base of Pikes Peak also had to be evacuated.
"We're used to flooding and tornadoes, nothing like this," Amanda Rice of Rock Falls, Ill., told Fox News. Rice evacuated a Manitou Springs hotel with her family and relocated to an evacuation center. "It was just this god-awful orange glow. It was surreal. It honestly looked like hell was opening up," Rice said.
White and gray smoke is filling the area and even hiding Pikes Peak, which inspired that song "America The Beautiful."
As the busy Fourth of July holiday arrives, families who come to the national park and tourist areas are having to change their plans. For more than a week, Colorado put a ban on open campfires and fireworks to avoid adding fuel to the fire. Those in the area are spending their Fourth of July week in evacuee centers rather than whitewater rafting or hiking outdoors as tourist centers are closed off.
Firefighters are working hard to battle the fires raging through Colorado. Half of the nation's firefighting fleet is in the area, Fox News reported. Even military planes are being used to help in the effort.
This wildfire season is one of the worst Colorado has ever seen. There are eight wildfires burning, one of which destroyed 118 square miles of land and 191 homes near Fort Collins, Colorado, Fox News reported. The fires have been burning for two weeks.
Other western areas including Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and California are also dealing with wildfires.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
