Wildfires

Wildfires - Britain

Seven square miles of Saddleworth Moor has gone up in flames, blanketing the Greater Manchester region and beyond in smoke and ash. Meanwhile, a new moorland blaze – on Winter Hill, near Rivington, Lancashire – broke out on Thursday with huge plumes of smoke visible from the area surrounding the moorland. Authorities fear the fires could take weeks to put out completely.

Wildfires - Colorado, USA

At least a dozen wildfires were raging on Friday in drought-stricken portions of Colorado where hundreds of residents have been evacuated as a wave of prime wildfire weather conditions moves through the U.S. West.

The most active blaze, the Spring Fire, had scorched nearly 24,000 acres (9,712 hectares) between the towns of Fort Garland and La Veta in southern Colorado. The fire was not contained as of Friday. An unknown number of structures were consumed by the fire in Costilla County where the fire is burning. People in about 350 homes in the area were ordered to evacuate.

The largest wildfire in the state, the 416 Fire, which has charred almost 42,000 acres in the southwest corner of the state since it ignited on June 1, is 37 percent contained, fire officials said.

An orphaned bear cub suffered painful burns to her paws in the Spring Fire, but she is being nursed back to health, state officials said Friday.