• Sheriff: Many resources are already deployed to tackle other fires
  • At least 10 structures have been damaged or destroyed, officials said
  • The cause of the blaze in northern Colorado is under investigation



(CNN) -- A raging wildfire that swelled within a day to 8,000 acres in northern Colorado, burning structures and forcing evacuations, will likely grow Sunday, fire officials said.
"Fire behavior and fire weather has not been our friend," Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith said late Saturday.
Firefighters battled the blaze, dubbed the High Park fire, that has been fanned by high temperatures and dry brush since it began Saturday morning 15 miles west of Fort Collins, according to InciWeb, the U.S. multi-agency Incident Fire Response website.
"Ten structures are confirmed lost or damaged and others are threatened," InciWeb reported. There were no immediate details available about the type of structures destroyed.
Fire officials ordered a number of evacuations in the area, and an emergency shelter was established at a middle school in La Porte.
At least 200 firefighters backed air tankers and helicopters are battling the blaze, officials said.
Smith said his agency and local firefighters went door-to-door to make sure people got out safely as the blaze consumed acres of land west of Fort Collins.
In one case, a wedding party was forced to flee as the flames moved closer.
Compounding the problem is a shortage of resources, Smith said. He said a lot of regional resources are already deployed fighting other outbreaks, such as the Whitewater Baldy fire in New Mexico.
The cause of the fire, which began on just a few acres at about 5:54 a.m., is under investigation, officials said.