Tens of thousands evacuated in Western wildfires

Jerilee Bennett / The Gazette via AP

Homes are destroyed by the Waldo Canyon fire in the Mountain Shadows area of Colorado Springs, Colo., on June 26, 2012.

Rick Wilking / Reuters

A monster Colorado wildfire raging near some of the most visited tourist areas in the state took a turn for the worse on Tuesday as hot winds pushed flames north, prompting the evacuation of 7,000 more people, officials said.

Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez / AP

In this aerial photo, the Bear Trap fire burns near Ennis, Mont. Tuesday, June 26, 2012.

msnbc.com staff and news service reports: Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes around Colorado Springs, Colo. as the Waldo Canyon Fire consumed more than 5,000 acres, the Denver Post reported. High winds and 100-plus-degree temperatures have worked against firefighters.
The El Paso County sheriff told reporters Tuesday night that 32,000 people were evacuated in the area.
The U.S. Air Force Academy installation commander also issued an evacuation order for residents on the complex, an Air Force statement said. Continue reading the full story.

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Rick Wilking / Reuters

Evacuated residents and others listen to a briefing as smoke rises from the Waldo Canyon fire west of Colorado Springs, Colorado June 26, 2012.

Wildfires have devastated the Mountain Shadows neighborhood of Colorado Springs, destroying many homes. KUSA's Chris Vanderveen reports.