Photos, videos: Waldo Canyon fire finally 100 percent contained

Update 5:52 a.m. July 10: Hard as it is to believe, the Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs is still not 100 percent contained -- not officially, anyway.

But the concerns of those on the ground has shifted from flames consuming more homes and costing more lives to the possibility of mudslides and flooding causing additional disruptions.

Courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service/Kari Greer

The most recent update on the federal InciWeb page dedicated to Waldo Canyon lists containment at 98 percent, and that number remains in place as crews on the ground (now numbered in the dozens, as opposed to well over 1,000) remain on the look out for smoldering areas. But all evacuations have been lifted, and the threat has diminished sufficiently that the senior administration representative who toured the blaze zone yesterday was Secretary of State Ken Salazar, not the President of the United States.

Courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service/Kari Greer

As such, the number of homes devoured (346) and casualties (two) should represent the final figures. But concern now shifts to the potential damage rain of the sort the Springs experienced yesterday.

Courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service/Kari Greer

As noted by the Colorado Springs Gazette, mudslides closed some roads and a number of neighborhoods experienced flooding. These events are considered fairly minor, but should heavier rains strike, the situation could get mighty serious mighty fast.

And while forecasters aren't calling for any serious gully-washers in the coming days, that doesn't mean all is well. As the National Weather Service's Steve Hodanish tells the Gazette, "This is just the beginning. It may last for years."

Look below to see more photos courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service, followed by much of our previous coverage.

Courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service/Kari Greer

Courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service/Kari Greer

Update, 5:55 a.m. July 3: The cause of the Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs remains under investigation -- but there's no question about its effect. The 346 homes lost to date make it the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history.

But at last, there's reason to hope that no more dwellings, and no more lives beyond two confirmed fatalities, will be lost to the blaze.

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The federal InciWeb page devoted to the event, updated late last night, provides two numbers that inspire optimism. First, 17,920, designating the number of acres scorched -- a shocking total, to be sure, but fewer than 100 more than yesterday's sum at this time. Secondly, 70 percent -- this digit pertaining to containment, which increased by 15 percent in just 24 hours.

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As pointed out by the Colorado Springs Gazette, the weather, which has provided some of the most nettlesome challenges for the 1,523 firefighters currently working the blaze, actually cooperated to a greater degree than has been typical since June 23, when Waldo Canyon first sparked to life. Not only were the temperatures more moderate (albeit still quite warm), but there was actually a splash of rain here and there. Hence, the conditions were ripe for progress, and progress was made.

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But for every sign of normalcy -- like yesterday's resumption of postal service for many of the areas that were off-limits prior to this weekend -- there were others that prove the situation is hardly back to normal. Note that some areas of the Pike and San Isabel National Forest remain off-limits, and on Monday, according to the feds, two helicopter water drops had to be aborted near Cave of the Winds because people had wandered into the fire perimeter. And then there's the grounding of federal C-130 aircraft being used to fight the fire in the wake of a fatal crash in South Dakota. Contracted aircraft will carry the firefighting load until the government fleet is given the go-ahead to take wing again.

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Today, the plan calls for the reinforcement and improvement of direct hand lines in several divisions, as well as rehabilitation of dozer lines throughout the fire zone. If containment continues to increase, some hot shot crews may even be released -- not that their job will be done. We remain in the beginning phase of the fire season, and it threatens to be a very long, hot summer.

Look below to see more extremely vivid photos, culled, like those above, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Flickr feed. That's followed by our previous coverage.

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