Wildfire doubles in Colorado's Rocky Mountains as evacuations continue

Wildfire doubles in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains as evacuations continue

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A helicopter collects water to drop on the Alexander Mountain Fire burning Monday, July 29, 2024, west of Loveland, Colo. (Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post via AP)

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Wranglers from Sylvan Dale Ranch round up horses to put on trailers to take them to safely away from the Alexander Mountain Fire burning Monday, July 29, 2024, near Loveland, Colo. (Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post via AP)

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A helicopter drops water on the Alexander Mountain fire Tuesday, July 30, 2024, west of Loveland, Colo. (Zachary Spindler-Krage/The Denver Post via AP)

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This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the fire line near Big Thompson Road for the Alexander Mountain Fire burning west of Loveland, Colo., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies via AP)

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This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows a color infrared overview of the Alexander Mountain Fire burning west of Loveland, Colo., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies via AP)

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This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows a color infrared view of the fire line near Big Thompson Road of the Alexander Mountain Fire west of Loveland, Colo., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies via AP)

By JESSE BEDAYN

DENVER (AP) — A wildfire near a Colorado city grew to over 1,800 acres Tuesday morning as more homes were placed under mandatory evacuation orders and a looming column of smoke could be seen for miles around, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The Alexander Mountain Fire doubled between Monday and Tuesday and sits about a dozen miles (19 kilometers) west of Loveland, Colorado, where the Rocky Mountains fold into the Great Plains.

Over 200 responders are working on the fire, with helicopters and planes supporting from the sky and more reinforcements expected, said Mike Smith, the incident commander in a Tuesday video briefing backdropped by a plume of smoke from the fire.

Loveland has a population of some 77,000, and sits about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Denver, though evacuations haven’t been made in the city proper.

Meanwhile crews responded Tuesday to another fire south of Alexander Mountain, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.