Worst Wildfire in Colorado's History Fully Contained

July 11, 2012
The Waldo Canyon Fire, which left two people dead and destroyed 356 homes and burned 18,247 acres, is now 100 percent contained.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. --The most damaging wildfire in Colorado history was 100 percent contained Tuesday night.

The Waldo Canyon Fire left two people dead, destroyed 356 homes and burned 18,247 acres in the Pike National Forest and in Colorado Springs.

Incident Commander Troy Nelsen flew over the fire around 6 p.m. and could not find any smoke plume in the Blodgett Peak area. It was the only area of concern and with no smoke showing in that area for the past 36 hours the team declared the fire 100 percent contained.

Residents near the Waldo Canyon fire may continue to see smoke over the next few days but those all in the interior of the fire.

Waldo Canyon started on June 23, 3 miles west of Colorado Springs. Three days later, on June 26, it exploded eastward toward the city, engulfing several Colorado Springs neighborhoods.

Evacuations peaked on 32,000 on June 27.

On June 29, President Obama arrived in Colorado Springs to visit burned neighborhoods, thank firefighters, and visit a Red Cross evacuation center.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Copyright 2012 by TheDenverChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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