A raging wildfire in Colorado has forced the evacuation of 32,000 people from their homes, including hundreds of residents living on the grounds of the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Authorities say several homes in the city of Colorado Springs were destroyed by the Waldo Canyon Fire, including a historic ranch that attracts hundreds of tourists each year. Highways and major roads were choked with residents fleeing the evacuated areas, as huge plumes of smoke from the fire filled the skies above.

The Waldo Canyon Fire has consumed more than 2,000 hectares of land since beginning last Saturday in Pike National Forest, and authorities say it is only five percent contained. The blaze has been fueled by several days of hot weather, with record-setting temperatures soaring above 37 degrees Celsius.

The Waldo Canyon Fire is one of several massive wildfires that have raged across much of the western United States in recent weeks, including one in northern Colorado. One person has been confirmed dead in a wildfire in the nearby state of Utah that forced authorities to shut down a major roadway.