Wildfire rages in Colorado

A raging wildfire forces the mandatory evacuation of around 900 homes in the foothills and canyons west of Denver, Colorado.

The blaze has closed roads in the area, and may still prompt more evacuations, according to local officials.

Fire crews from 30 engine companies and different agencies are battling the flames.

The local sheriff's department had no reports of injuries, but an undetermined number of houses had been lost.

By Monday night, the blaze had scorched some 3,000 acres of grasslands and trees as it burned out of control.

It was believed to have been started by embers left over from a controlled-burning operation last week.

Single-digit humidity combined with 50-mile-per-hour winds and a lack of snowfall contributed to the fire, according the National Weather Service.

Travis Brecher, Reuters