2010-09-09 09:24

A Sky Crane Tanker Fire Helicopter drops water on the front of the Fourmile Canyon fire in Boulder, Colorado September 8, 2010. [Agencies]

BOULDER, Colorado -- Firefighters encountered a tangle of rattlesnakes, downed power lines and combustible propane tanks Wednesday as they struggled to get an upper hand on a wildfire that has destroyed dozens of homes.

About 3,500 people have been evacuated from about 1,000 homes since the 6,168-acre (2,496-hectare) fire broke out in a parched area north of Boulder on Monday. Four people remained missing as residents stayed behind and risked their lives to try to save their homes.

The blaze has burned 140 structures, including at least 53 homes. The figure is expected to rise as authorities survey more of the fire area, which covers about 10 square miles (26 sq. kilometers).

Firefighters took advantage of cooler temperatures and cloud cover to attack the wildfire but authorities acknowledged they still don't have control of a blaze that could become one of the most destructive in Colorado history.

Kevin Klein, the director of Colorado's Division of Fire Safety, said structural losses from the fire may exceed the count in the state's 2002 Hayman fire. That fire was the most destructive in the state's history, destroying 133 homes and 466 outbuildings, but it burned across 138,000 acres of more sparsely populated land, including national forest property.

Air tankers dumped 35,000 gallons (132,485 liters) of fire retardant on the blaze and crews began building containment lines on the eastern side of the fire. The large plume of smoke the fire had been producing since it started Monday dissipated because of the favorable weather. However, the fire was still actively burning and threatening structures, forcing some deputies doing an inventory of the damage to retreat.

Laura McConnell, a spokeswoman for the fire management team, said as many as 300 firefighters are at the fire and more are on the way. She said they're dealing with downed power lines, debris, poison ivy and rattlesnakes. They also have to be watchful for propane tanks in the area.

Sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough said the conditions make it too dangerous for anxious residents to return to check on their homes.

"We just don't have control of the fire," he said Wednesday afternoon, as some rain began falling over the fire area.

At the Colorado Mountain Ranch, 60-year-old Mike Walker has been making a stand against the fire with his wife and 25-year-old daughter in a desperate effort to save the children's summer camp and outdoor recreation center they operate.

"He's safe, he's up there," said Walker's 19-year-old daughter Rose, who evacuated. "He just won't leave. We never doubted where he was, he just won't leave for anybody."

An aerial view shows a cluster of trees standing next to a home destroyed by the Fourmile Canyon fire in Boulder, Colorado September 8, 2010. [Agencies]