Colorado Fire Map 2012: Waldo Canyon Fire Impact Continues as Obama Plans Visit [MAP]
Damaging fires continued to impact a number of communities across Colorado on Wednesday including the devastating Waldo Canyon fire that is affecting families, homes and businesses in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the White House said in a statement today.
President Barack Obama announced his plans to travel to the area Friday. According to the Colorado Division of Emergency Management, the total of homes destroyed remained at 257 as of today.
"The President expressed his concern about the extent of damage to homes in the Colorado Springs area, and informed both the Governor and the Mayor that he plans to travel to the area Friday to view the damage and thank the responders bravely battling the fire," the White House said in a statement.
Obama ordered the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Interior and FEMA to bring all resources to bear to assist local responders in the area.
As of Tuesday night, there were a total of 32,000 people evacuated but on Wednesday 7,600 people were ordered from their homes, Reuters reports. The number of displaced people had grown by about 3000, according to Terry Maketa, Sheriff of El Paso County.
As of Wednesday no deaths were reported from the Waldo Fire.
A map released Wednesday by the Colorado Division of Emergency Management showed a total of 11 fires across Colorado, most of them concentrated in the central part of the state.
This map was updated Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. and will be updated each morning and as needed throughout the day as new information is available.
The fires were located at Boulder, Fort Collins, Washington County, Pagosa Springs, near Bondad, near Mancos and Cortez, on Elbert County, Jefferson County, Larimer County, Yuma County and Lake George, Teller, accoridng to the division of emergency management.
See the map below: