One dead as wildfire burns west of Denver

One person is dead as a Colorado wildfire that triggered thousands of evacuations spreads in Denver's western suburbs, sheriff's officers said. Smoke and ash was reported Monday night in the Denver metro area as the Lower North Fork Fire quickly spread across more than 3,000 acres in the Front Range Foothills, KMGH-TV, Denver, reported. A number of homes have been destroyed and smoke was visible from downtown Denver. No information was released about the person who died but the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said it occurred in the fire zone. The fire started at the site of a controlled burn conducted last week by the Colorado Forest Service, KMGH said. The fire rekindled Monday afternoon in high winds, with gusts as high as 69 mph recorded in Conifer, Colo. Fire officials said it was the first major fire this season.