Colorado Wildfires Have Forced 11,000 Evacuations and Destroyed More Than 200 Homes

The New York Times reports, "11,000 Evacuated as Colorado Fire Grows."

And at the Los Angeles Times, "Colorado wildfires force thousands to evacuate":

Two wildfires ravaging Colorado have forced 11,000 evacuations and destroyed more than 200 homes.

The Waldo Canyon fire forced the complete evacuation of Manitou Springs over the weekend and evacuations from nearby Colorado Springs and a number of small communities along Highway 24, according to Rob Deyerberg, a spokesman for the firefighters battling the blaze.

"We're used to flooding and tornadoes, nothing like this," Amanda Rice of Rock Falls, Ill., told the Associated Press.

She left a Manitou Springs hotel late Saturday with her husband, four children and dog, according to the AP, and took her family to an evacuation center before she got an order to leave. Others were awakened by evacuation orders in the middle of the night.

"It was just this God-awful orange glow,” Rice said of the flames. “It was surreal. It honestly looked like hell was opening up.”

The Colorado Springs Gazette has huge coverage. See: "WALDO CANYON FIRE: Fire at 3,600 acres -- and growing."

And Michelle Malkin has been evacuated, "A personal note: Evacuated from Waldo Canyon Fire; Update: Sunset and smoke, 3,600 acres destroyed":

Our family is among the 11,000 residents of Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs who have been evacuated in the wake of the Waldo Canyon Fire. We’re homeless, but safe for now — though the kids are devastated we couldn’t get their parakeets, Keets and Tweety, out of the house before security/emergency personnel cleared out our neighborhood.

We are so thankful for our many friends here and especially the heroic firefighters, police, and disaster relief officials and volunteers who have worked tirelessly to contain the fire and protect our homes.

More at the link.

And at Twitchy, "Photos, evacuation updates flood Twitter as #WaldoCanyonFire spreads west of Colorado Springs," and "As #WaldoCanyonFire spreads, social media helps spread word, provide instant updates, potentially save lives; Update: Spreading the word on how to help."