One Dead, 346 Homes Destroyed By Waldo Canyon Fire

(Colorado Springs, CO)  –  The wildfire ravaging in the Colorado
Springs area is now a killer.  A body has  been found in the ashes of
a burned-out home, the first known fatality connected to the Waldo
Canyon fire.  Police   say  there are reports of two adults missing in
the fire.  Mayor Steve Bach announced  yesterday afternoon that 346
homes had been destroyed in Colorado Springs, making the Waldo Canyon
blaze the most destructive ever for Colorado.

FBI Opens Investigation Into Source Of Wildfires

The Federal Bureau Investigation  will
investigate the cause of that raging wildfire that displaced thousands
of residents and an untold number of homes in Colorado.  The FBI    is
working closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement to
determine if any of the wildland fires resulted from criminal
activity.  The FBI will  work with the El Paso County sheriff’s office
to determine the start of the Waldo Canyon blaze.

Two People Arrested, Suspected Of Looting

Two people were arrested Thursday on
suspicion of burglarizing and looting a Colorado Springs home in the
Waldo Canyon fire evacuation zone.  The Colorado Bureau of
Investigation, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and Monument Police
Department arrested Belinda Yates, and Shane Garrett acting on
information developed in an unrelated investigation.  The two also had
methamphetamine when they were arrested in Monument.

Obama To Travel To Colorado Friday To View Fire Damage

President Obama is expected to tour wildfire
damage in the Colorado Springs area today and thank responders.  The
President told Mayor Steve Bach and Governor John Hickenlooper this
week that his administration is focused on providing resources to
assist local responders in Colorado and in a number of Western States
being impacted by fires.