Slightly better weather provided a much-needed break Tuesday for firefighters battling several lightning-sparked wildfires in the western USA.
Nationally, about 4,000 firefighters battled at least 19 large wildfires in nine U.S. states, the National Interagency Fire Center reported.
Fires in the worst-hit states of Colorado and New Mexico have destroyed hundreds of structures and forced thousands of people to flee.
In New Mexico, 224 homes and 10 outbuildings have been destroyed by the large fire burning near Ruidoso, according to the state's fire information website.
The High Park Fire near Fort Collins, Colo., was 5% contained late Tuesday, according to InciWeb, a federal website that tracks wildfires.
Linda Steadman, 62, was killed in the fire over the weekend.
"We know we have some containment on the eastern flank of the fire," Larimer County sheriff's spokesman John Schulz said.
Fire commander Bill Hahnenberg said officials hoped to reach 10% containment by the end of the day
More fuel for the fire is available because of the spread of bark beetles across millions of acres of forests over the past few years. "The beetles kill the tree, and when the tree dies, it loses its moisture," said Chad Hoffman, an assistant professor of fire science at Colorado State University.
The fire in New Mexico near Ruidoso was 30% contained.
Contributing: Sarah Jane Kyle, Trevor Hughes, the Fort Collins Coloradoan; the Associated Press
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