Firefighters managed to contain much of a wildfire on the northeastern plains of Colorado, while evacuated residents of the town of Eckley were allowed to return home late Sunday, the Yuma County sheriff said Monday. Sherriff Chad Day said that three firefighters were injured while battling Sunday's blaze, and two of them were hospitalized. He said that the town's 300 residents were told they could return home Sunday night, but the evacuation order remained in effect for many towns that border Kansas and Nebraska. "We will lift the evacuation order once we determine the fire is under control," Day told reporters. He also said that 12 area fire departments fought the fire that started early Sunday south of Yuma and spread toward Eckley, which prompted the evacuation. The grass fire, fueled by wind, destroyed at least two homes, scorching parts of a 218 square kilometer area. The wall of smoke and dust was so high and thick that most of the firefighters could not see the fire. The fire follows a week of warm, dry weather that has raised the fire danger across eastern Colorado. Denver broke a record by hitting 24 degrees Celsius on Saturday.
