Northern Colorado wildfire continues to grow

Authorities say a shift in the wind turned a wildfire burning slowly in a heavily wooded area on the Colorado-Wyoming border into a fast-moving threat.

Routt National Forest spokesman Aaron Voos says the blaze grew to about 5 square miles from about 1 square mile Tuesday. Thunderstorms expected this weekend could make the fire worse because they often bring gusty winds and only a smattering of flame-stifling rain.

Voos says the number of firefighters is expected to grow from 120 to about 200 on Wednesday. But he says getting more help is difficult because of other fires across the West.

Trees killed by a beetle infestation were helping fuel the blaze 140 miles north of Denver and 2 miles from Wyoming.

Campers and those staying in cabins were told to evacuate. Voos says no more than 100 people fled the area, which isn’t heavily populated.