2 Found Dead in Area Burned by Colorado Wildfire

The bodies of two people were found in the most destructive fire in the history of the U.S. state of Colorado, authorities said.

Sheriff Terry Maketa said crews on Thursday found the remains of one person reported missing. About an hour later they found the remains of a second person.

The Black Forest Fire has destroyed at least 360 houses, and an estimated 40,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes.

The number of homes destroyed by the voracious wildfire, driven in all directions by shifting winds, was likely to climb as the fire burned for a third day through tinder-dry woods. It was 5 percent contained.

The destruction surpassed last June's Waldo Canyon fire, which burned 347 homes, killed two people and caused $353 million in insurance claims. The heavy losses were blamed in part on explosive population growth in areas with historically high fire risk.