The Black Forest Fire is moving rapidly and has destroyed over 8,000 acres in El Paso County, Colo., forcing 7,358 people to evacuate while thousands more refused to abandon their homes, according to reports.
Black Forest Fire was first reported about 1 p.m. Tuesday, and by evening mandatory evacuation notices had been sent to 2,530 homes, which include over 7,000 people. Estimates of the fire's size were 7,500 to 8,000 acres; El Paso Sheriff Terry Maketa said 80 to 100 homes had burned. There was no containment in the 48 square-mile area. An official number of how many homes have been damaged has not yet been released.
The fire has burned more than 8,000 acres, and at least 60 homes have been destroyed, according to an estimate from the incident commander, El Paso County spokesman Dave Rose said Wednesday, according to The Denver Channel.
Luckily, no injuries from either residents or firefighters have been reported, although Maketa noted that there were reports of people who refused to evacuate.
"One of my worst fears is that people make have taken their chances and it cost them their lives," Maketa added.
Meanwhile, 7News caught a tender moment when a firefighter was seen carrying a baby deer to safety from the raging Black Forest Fire. He was later identified as Colby Helgerson, but has not yet made a statement about the rescue because he had to quickly rejoin his team after handing off the rescued deer.
Gov. John Hickenlooper announced late Tuesday night that state assistance has been authorized to help fight wildfires burning in El Paso and Huerfano counties. The Colorado National Guard has been activated and FEMA gave verbal approval for federal financial assistance for the fires.
Watch: Black Forest Fire evacuation zone grows
