The Frame
A photo blog of world events by Sacbee.com Assistant Director of Multimedia Tim Reese.
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September 8, 2010
Colorado wildfire destroys dozens of homes
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- Firefighters encountered a tangle of rattlesnakes, downed power lines and combustible propane tanks Wednesday as they struggled to get an upper hand on a wildfire that has destroyed dozens of homes. About 3,500 people have been evacuated from about 1,000 homes since the 6,168-acre fire broke out in a parched area north of Boulder on Monday. Four people remained missing as residents stayed behind and risked their lives to try to save their homes. The blaze has burned 140 structures -- including at least 53 homes. The figure is expected to rise as authorities survey more of the fire area, which covers about 10 square miles. Firefighters took advantage of cooler temperatures and cloud cover to attack the wildfire but authorities acknowledged they still don't have control of a blaze that could become one of the most destructive in Colorado history. Fire conditions were expected to worsen Thursday night into Friday and the risk of any new fires quickly spreading was high along the populated Front Range region, according to the National Weather Service. (25 images)

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A wildfire burns outside of Boulder, Colo. on Tuesday Sept. 7, 2010. Authorities said Tuesday night they counted 92 structures that have been destroyed and another eight that have been damaged. AP / Matt McClain


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A wildfire burns through the foothills of the Rocky Mountains on September 8, 2010 near Boulder, Colorado. Getty Images / John Moore



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A wildfire burns through the foothills of the Rocky Mountains on September 8, 2010 near Boulder, Colorado. Getty Images / John Moore



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Rain clowds move over a burning wildfire in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains on September 8, 2010 near Boulder, Colorado. Getty Images / John Moore



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A wildfire burns through the foothills of the Rocky Mountains on September 8, 2010 near Boulder, Colorado. Getty Images / John Moore



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Smoke rises as firefighters fly over a wildfire on September 7, 2010 near Boulder, Colorado. Getty Images / John Moore



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Smoke rises as a firefighting helicopter alights after taking on water to spray over a wildfire on September 7, 2010 in Boulder, Colorado. Getty Images / John Moore



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Residents watch as a firefighting helicopter alights after taking on water to spray over a wildfire on September 7, 2010 in Boulder, Colorado. Getty Images / John Moore



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Homeowners and local residents stand atop a mountain overlooking a wildfire on September 7, 2010 near Boulder, Colorado. Getty Images / John Moore



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Homeowners and local residents stand atop a mountain overlooking a wildfire on September 7, 2010 near Boulder, Colorado. Getty Images / John Moore



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Dee Spencer, right, who lost her home in a wildfire near Boulder, Colo., on Monday is comforted by Beth Byerlein after a briefing on the fire in Boulder, Colo., on Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010. AP / Ed Andrieski



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Home owner Eleanor Mahoney joins a group of Sunshine residents to discuss the fate of their homes on Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010. AP / Craig F. Walker



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A group of Sunshine residents listen as Gov. Bill Ritter and Boulder Sheriff Joe Pelle speak to the media and concerned residents at a staging area in Boulder, Colo., Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010, after concluding a tour of the fire area. The Denver Post / Craig F. Walker



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Standing on an overlook outside the Boulder County Justice Center in Boulder, Colo., Hans Rohner uses binoculars to look at a wildfire outside of Boulder on Tuesday Sept. 7, 2010. AP / Matt McClain



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A water tanker flies past a smoky sunset while battling a wildfire on September 7, 2010 near Boulder, Colorado. Getty Images / John Moore



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A slurry bomber drops a load of retardant on forest land on September 8, 2010 near Boulder, Colorado. More than 6,000 acres have burned in the Fourmile Canyon fire, including scores of houses and other buildings. Getty Images / John Moore



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A slurry bomber drops a load of retardant to protect buildings from wildfire on September 8, 2010 near Boulder, Colorado. Getty Images / John Moore



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Firefighters fly over a house which survived the wildfire on September 8, 2010 near Boulder, Colorado. Getty Images / John Moore



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A home lies in ashes on September 8, 2010 near Boulder, Colorado. More than 6,000 acres have burned in the Fourmile Canyon fire, including scores of houses and other buildings. Getty Images / John Moore



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A home lies in ashes on September 8, 2010 near Boulder, Colorado. More than 6,000 acres have burned in the Fourmile Canyon fire, including scores of houses and other buildings. Getty Images / John Moore



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A home lies in ashes on September 8, 2010 near Boulder, Colorado. More than 6,000 acres have burned in the Fourmile Canyon fire, including scores of houses and other buildings. Getty Images / John Moore



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A home lies in ashes on September 8, 2010 near Boulder, Colorado. More than 6,000 acres have burned in the Fourmile Canyon fire, including scores of houses and other buildings. Getty Images / John Moore



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School busses sit charred amidst the ruins of the Colorado Mountain Ranch summer camp on September 8, 2010 at Gold Hill near Boulder, Colorado. Getty Images / John Moore



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A line of buses are destroyed after a wild fire passed through Gold Hill, Colo. on Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010. AP / Eric Peter Abramson



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A light rain falls on home owners and media at a news briefing on the wildfire burning west of Boulder, Colo., on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010. AP / Ed Andrieski



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