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Report Says City Was Overwhelmed During Waldo Canyon Fire

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - It's a scene Coloradans will never forget -- a massive plume of smoke over Colorado Springs as the Waldo Canyon Fire barreled down a mountain and into a neighborhood.

Two people died and more than 300 homes were lost as the city became overwhelmed by disaster. That's the finding in a new report out on Tuesday.

In the first public critique, the city said they needed better communication among agencies, improved evacuation policies, and better training for volunteers. It also found some city officials and workers were not trained to handle the logistical problems during a large scale disaster.

The critique did offer praise saying everyone acted incredibly professional.

Wildfire Resources

- Visit CBSDenver.com's Wildfire Resources section.

- Read recent Wildfire stories.

Wildfire Photo Galleries

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

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