Summer of Fire Hell: 1K Homes Destroyed

An astonishing 1,000 homes have already been destroyed by wildfires this year, and with continuing hot, dry weather and record-large blazes sweeping through much of the southwest, the destruction will likely get worse, reports the Los Angeles Times. A record-busting Colorado blaze burned down 259 homes in High Park before another fire in Waldo Canyon engulfed 346. A record-sized New Mexico blaze destroyed more than 240 homes.

Other major fires include one in Idaho that burned down 66 homes, a blaze in Utah that destroyed 52, and one in Montana that torched 16 homes. Another fire in Wyoming has burned down a number of buildings, and has a growth potential described as "extreme." Demand for firefighting resources hasn't been this high "in a long time—if ever," said a coordinator at the US Forest Services firefighting center. (More wildfires stories.)