美国科罗拉多州大火已被初步控制

The most destructive wildfire in the US state of Colorado's history is now 70% contained, officials say.

美国科罗拉多州最具毁灭性的一场大火已被控制住70%。

The destruction in areas like Mountain Shadows means residents will not be allowed to return for some time
The announcement came after residents visited their neighbourhoods to survey damage. Some 32,000 people were forced to leave the city of Colorado Springs.

Separately, at least one of six crew members has died as a US military cargo¹ plane crashed while battling a fire in South Dakota. Others are feared dead.

Wildfires are raging across huge area in western US states.

Officials in Colorado said 17,920 acres (7,251 ha) of land and 346 homes had been burned by Colorado's Waldo Canyon² fire. Two people have been killed and the blaze spread last week across the limits of the state's second largest city.

Thunderstorms and recent cloudy weather have helped more than 1,500 firefighters battle the blaze, officials say. But seven air tankers³ were grounded indefinitely in the wake of the South Dakota crash.

It is estimated the Colorado wildfire will be 100% contained by 11 July.

'Sobbing⁴ uncontrollably'

In Colorado Springs, some residents were allowed to return to their homes temporarily on Sunday to survey the damage in their neighbourhoods.

Officials say it could still take four to six weeks before they can fully⁵ return to the Mountain Shadows and Flying W areas because of utility and infrastructure⁶ damage.

Renee Sidman, a resident of Mountain Shadows, told the Colorado Springs Gazette of the guilt⁷ she felt when she discovered her home was still standing⁸.

"I was just sobbing uncontrollably, even though my house was perfect," she said, adding that the house next door had been reduced to ash and soot⁹.

Another resident, CJ Moore, told the Associated press that she knew from aerial photos that her home had not survived, but found stainless¹⁰ steel kitchenware and a vase lamp in the rubble¹¹.

"To find my mail in my mailbox, unscathed（未受伤的） . It's just unreal. Unreal," she said.