NASA observes the Waldo Canyon Fire, Colorado

NASA satellites continue to provide coverage of the smoke and heat signatures generated from wildfires raging in the western United States. The Waldo Canyon Fire is threatening populated areas, and is located near Colorado Springs, Colo.

The Waldo Canyon Fire was discovered on June 23, 2012, burning in Pike National Forest near Colorado Springs, Colorado. By June 27, it had burned 15,517 acres (6,280 hectares), was 5 percent contained, and had forced at least 32,000 people to evacuate their homes.

Don Savage, retired from NASA and residing in Colorado, captured photographs of the Waldo Canyon Fire. The photos and a short video taken on June 26 and 27, convey the close proximity to the Colorado Springs neighborhoods. "One photo was shot from Garden of the Gods looking north towards Queen's Canyon, where the fire crested the ridge and moved down into Colorado Springs," he said. "When the Waldo Canyon fire crested a ridge it worked its way down to the Mountain Shadows neighborhood," he said. "That's where a few hours later many houses burned on June 26, 2012."

According to Inciweb, the Incident Response website, currently more than 750 people are battling the fire. For updates on the fire and evacuations, visit Inciweb at: http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2929/#content.