Thousands of acres ablaze in US wildfires

Massive wildfires in the US states of California, Colorado and New Mexico have torched thousands of acres and forced hundreds to evacuate their homes, the media reported.

A vegetation fire in Laguna Beach, California, about 50 miles south of Los Angeles, has torched about 250 acres. More than 400 firefighters were fighting the blaze, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.

There was zero percent containment as of Saturday night, reports CNN.

No injuries or damaged structures have been reported in the blaze, dubbed the Aliso Fire, but evacuations are underway in Laguna Beach neighbourhoods, where about 2,000 residents had been evacuated by Saturday.

A blaze known as the 416 Fire in Colorado's La Plata county has burned 1,100 acres, US Forest Service spokesman Jim Mackensen told CNN on Saturday.

The fire, about 15 miles outside the town of Durango, was also zero per cent contained and has forced the evacuations of 1,500 residents, Mackensen said. No structures have been destroyed.

Grass, brush and timber continued to fuel the fire Saturday morning.

A massive fire in Colfax county, New Mexico, grew to 30,000 acres by Saturday night, according to the US Forest Service.

More than 500 personnel were battling the fire.

A mandatory evacuation order was in place for the town of Cimarron, where 296 structures were threatened by the blaze, called the Ute Park Fire.

--IANS

ksk/mr