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Air Support Helps Crews Get Upper Hand On Wildfire

By Stan Bush

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (CBS4)- Air support helped crews contain a grass fire near Highlands Ranch that threatened nearly 600 homes on Friday afternoon.

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(credit: CBS)

The Chatridge Fire ignited around noon on Friday. A cause is not known, but temperatures were in the 80s, unseasonably high for late October. A red flag warning was not issued.

All evacuations were lifted by 5 p.m. after fire crews gained the upper hand on the fire.

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(credit: CBS)

South Metro Fire evacuated 585 homes, mostly in the gated BackCountry community. No structures were harmed by the fire that burned more than 200 acres.

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Copter4 flew over the air tanker making slurry drops over the Chatridge Fire (credit: CBS)

Warm, dry conditions are causing problems across the state. The Junkins Fire in southern Colorado has burned more than 1,700 acres and destroyed nine homes. Record temperatures have also threatening to push back opening days at ski areas in the central mountains.

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(credit: CBS)

Extended forecasts predict temperatures in the 70s for the next week along the Front Range with little to no precipitation.

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Copter4 flew over a helicopter making water drops over the Chatridge Fire (credit: CBS)

The latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor showed drought has crept deeper into Douglas County in recent weeks.

Wildfire Resources

- Visit CBSDenver.com's Living With Wildfire section.

Wildfire Photo Galleries

- See images from the most destructive wildfires (Black Forest, Waldo Canyon, High Park and Fourmile) and largest wildfire (Hayman) in Colorado history.

Stan Bush is a general assignment reporter at CBS4. His stories can be seen on CBS4 News at 10. Read his bio and follow him on Twitter @StanBushTV.

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