Colorado wildfire quickly destroys hundreds of homes – in pictures

Incident commander Rich Harvey, center, gives an update on the Black Forest Fire to resident Dan Brennan on Friday Photograph: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

An aerial view of burned-out vehicles in the aftermath of the Black Forest Fire in Colorado on Thursday. Hundreds of firefighters made a determined stand on Thursday to stop the wildfire that has already destroyed some 360 homes from roaring into the outskirts of Colorado Springs after it billowed overnight into the most destructive blaze in state history Photograph: Rick Wilking/Reuters

Nancy Bradley, right, a resident of Black Forest, hugs fellow evacuee Jenny Abernathy watches while listening to an update on the Black Forest fire in Colorado Springs on Friday. Firefighters held the line Friday on the Black Forest Fire, in which two people were killed as they tried to escape Photograph: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Cindy Miller, left, hugs her husband, Ray, before he heads into the burn zone with a police escort Friday to retrieve medication from their home near Colorado Springs Photograph: Michael Ciaglo/AP

Samantha Marison, an AmeriCorps volunteer firefighter assigned to the El Paso County sheriff's office, removes down wood fuel to help contain a spot fire in an evacuated area of the forest on Thursday Photograph: Brennan Linsley/AP

A structure on Herring Road smolders after being burned to the ground by a quickly advancing Black Forest fire on Thursday Photograph: Michael Ciaglo/AP

A US army Blackhawk helicopter patrols over the Black Forest Fire in Colorado on Friday Photograph: Rick Wilking/Reuters

Sean Collins moves a sprinkler on the roof of his parents' house before leaving the area after a mandatory evacuation was ordered for the communities east of Highway 83 near Colorado Springs on Thursday Photograph: Michael Ciaglo/AP

A house sits undamaged in the aftermath of the Black Forest fire's onslaught on Thursday afternoon Photograph: Rick Wilking/Reuters

Chris and Christine Walker watch the Black Forest Fire gain steam as it burns out of control near Colorado Springs on Wednesday. The Walkers live nearby and were under pre-evacuation orders at the time. More than 40,000 residents had been ordered to evacuate by Friday Photograph: Bryan Oller/AP

Dave Dunlap watches from the bed of his truck as the fire crosses Black Forest Road near his home on Tuesday, the day the blaze broke out Photograph: MCT /Rex Features