Waldo Canyon fire update: One death, 347 homes destroyed, 20K threatened

Update, 5:58 a.m. June 28: This time yesterday, the High Park fire near Fort Collins had destroyed more homes than any Colorado blaze -- 257-- and it's still the official record holder. But no one expects this dreadful distinction to last. The Waldo Canyon fire, which is raging both inside and outside of Colorado Springs at this writing, went off like a bomb Wednesday, with officials currently estimating that 300 homes were engulfed. And that total is expected to grow.

The latest map of the fire at this writing, courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service.

According to the U.S. Forest Service-maintained InciWeb page for the Waldo Canyon fire, the amount of acreage consumed as of the most recent estimate is 15,517 -- well over double the 6,200 acres said to have been scorched just 24 hours ago. That's still modest in terms of square miles compared to High Park, but because the conflagration sparked so much closer to populous areas, it's caused even more damage, and done it with a speed that's left residents and observers positively stunned.

Instagram photo by joshcastaneda

The Colorado Springs Gazette is reporting that Colorado Springs Fire Department staffers have worked through the night canvassing numerous neighborhoods (including Mountain Shadows, among those thought to have suffered the most devastation) to determine which of the homes there will be habitable in the future, and which are total losses. The number of evacuees continues to stand at approximately 32,000, but the fact that this sum hasn't risen substantially provides little comfort to those who now await confirmation that their residence and belongings are lost.

Instagram photo by joshcastaneda

The weather conditions proved ideal to feed, rather than squelch, the flames, with temperatures in the nineties or above, fanning winds of at least 12 miles per hour and humidity registering an arid 8 percent. And forecasts for today predict more of the same.

Instagram photo by joshcastaneda

The number of firefighters battling on the lines and in the skies is estimated at 764, and containment continues to linger at a measly 5 percent. The feds don't expect full containment until July 16, and after what happened yesterday, that's starting to seem optimistic. The fire's growth potential and the terrain on which it's feeding are both described as "extreme."

Look below to see the most detailed map of the area released thus far, albeit one that's out of date -- it was shared early yesterday -- as well as the latest videos from users and the media. That's followed by our previous coverage.

Page down to see our earlier coverage, including photos and videos.