Colorado fires raze through East Troublesome as evacuations clog highway

Colorado fires raging through East Troublesome continue to engulf homes and businesses causing residents to evacuate in a frenzy with long lines of cars jamming the highway. The small town of Estes Park was seen crawling with hundreds of residents fleeing the area in a panic, while those who have already fled can only watch their homes burn down on their home security cameras.

The fire, which is located around the area of Grimes Peak on the Arapaho National Forest, has burned more than 170,000 acres of forest land and only 5% of it has been contained. Most residents fleeing their homes in a rush are in shock as evacuations across Grand County are continuously being implemented. Cars are piling up and clogging the highway in Larimer County as a thick layer of smoke washed over the area, blocking out the sun.

According to CNN meteorologist Brandon MIller, the strong winds and the dry weather conditions are part of what fuels the explosive expanse of the fires in Colorado. Forecasts on the weather are predicted to stay the same for the next couple of days with some light rain that could turn into snow over the weekend. This could provide firefighters a much needed window to contain the flames. Currently, about 93% of the West is experiencing a period of drought. Reports from The National Interagency Fire Centre showed that 60 large fires have burned through more than 3.9 million acres across the country.

In a latest update, Incident Commander Noel Livingston said the fire grew and razed through 50,000 acres on Thursday. He said the way the fire has grown is really unheard of in that particular part of the world.

The incident command has put out orders for additional resources to fight the fire while authorities are still conducting investigations on what caused it.

In an interview, a woman who had lost everything was still trying to come to grips on what had happened to her home.

"You think of the craziest things like the Christmas presents you just bought for your grandkids, and the bedrooms you prepared for them. And you never think it's going to happen to you."