This Colorado fire situation is really out of control.  Here is a great source for information on it at CSU (much better than CNN).  The Hayman fire (87,000 acres) is growing at a rate of 1/2 mile and hour on 2-7 mph winds.  Those winds are expected to pick up to 7-16 mph with gusts to 25 mph tonight.  Very scary. [John Robb's Radio Weblog]

Speaking as someone who lives here, yeah, it's damn scary. There are some misconceptions from the national news services, which is why this link is great. The Hayman fire (the one getting all the attention) is 35 miles from Denver, but it's not an immediate fire threat. It would take quite a while to cover that distance. It is definitely a threat to the communities south and southwest of Denver, and pretty much the entire metro area is suffering from smoke and/or ash. The fire is just impossible to contain at this point; while they can attack it, they are helpless to stop it. We all just have to wait and hope the weather turns to our favor. (Our house is southeast of Denver, and not in danger; many thanks for all who've e-mailed with concern.)

If you want to contribute, the Red Cross is acting as a collection and distribution point for items for the firefighters and those displaced (temporarily or permanently) by the fire.

[The .NET Guy]

This fire is really nasty.  On Sunday, during my flight between Dallas and Seattle, we flew over Denver.  At 35000 feet we could distinctly smell and see the smoke.

4:19:58 PM