Front Pushes Colorado Fire South

HESPERUS, Colo. (AP) -- A front Saturday brought wind and lightning to a wildfire on federal land near Mesa Verde National Park, pushing the fire from 640 acres to 1,750 acres, fire officials said.

The front pushed the fire south, but no homes were threatened, fire information officer Susan Zornek said.

Three fire engines that could be used to protect homes were on the scene with 15 more on order, strictly for assessing the fire, she said.

The weather brought rain and hail over the firefighters' command post near Hesperus, but no rain fell on the fire, Zornek said.

The blaze was about 5 percent contained Saturday night.

The fire, first reported Thursday, was believed to have been started by lightning.

In southern Colorado, an 11,357-acre wildfire near Beulah in Pueblo County was fully contained Saturday. No structures burned, but about 5,000 residents in Beulah and the Greenwood community near Wetmore were evacuated at one point.

Costs for fighting that lightning-caused fire were estimated at $5.32 million.