Smoke from wildfire 60 miles away blankets Denver

Associated Press

LOVELAND, Colo.

A northern Colorado wildfire 60 miles away wrapped Denver in a pungent cloud of smoke for several hours Tuesday and complicated the aerial offensive against the spreading mountain blaze, which has killed one person and destroyed more than 100 structures.

In New Mexico, a 56-square-mile wildfire threatening the village of Ruidoso damaged or destroyed at least 224 homes and cabins, and that number was expected to increase. Lincoln County workers found only heaps of burned metal and other debris on home sites hit hardest by the Little Bear fire.

With at least 19 large fires burning in nine states, President Barack Obama called Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper to assure him that the federal government stood ready to provide personnel, equipment and emergency grants for Colorado and other states battling fire.