CO firefighters to step up attack on Boulder blaze

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Firefighters in Colorado are planning to aggressively ramp up the fight against a 3,500-acre wildfire that has forced thousands of people from their homes in a rugged canyon northwest of Boulder.

Authorities say that with calmer winds in the forecast today, they plan to dump large amounts of fire retardant from the air. Gusty winds Monday grounded air tankers for much of the day.

The fire has destroyed dozens of homes, and some 3,000 people have been forced to flee the area.

At a news conference Tuesday, Rich Brough of the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office had no detail on precisely how many homes have been damaged or destroyed.

The cause of the fire isn’t known, but he says there’s no indication it was intentionally set.