Colorado Springs Residents Returning Home After Deadly Fire Eases
LEMON: Thousands of Colorado residents are watching and they're waiting today hoping that good weather conditions will continue to get firefighters the upper hand. The Black Forest fire now 45 percent contained and hasn't grown any larger in size in the last day. Fire crews are working to put out hot spots amid 473 destroyed homes. CNN's George Howell talked to families who just got back to see what's left of their homes.</s>GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The grass is still green. His home still standing. And Mike Bossert is back to his regular routine since the mandatory evacuation for this neighborhood has been lifted. (on camera): What's it like to be back?</s>MIKE BOSSERT, RESIDENT OF COLORADO SPRINGS: It's good to be home. You know, it's good to be home. We were out for just a couple of nights. We left during the voluntary on Wednesday and then they put a mandatory on Thursday night which was a little nerve-racking but, you know, our boys and my wife were able to pack some things up and take things out, so we feel pretty comfortable with, you know, leaving when we did.</s>HOWELL (voice-over): Just down the road it's an entirely different story for Trevor Miller who still can't return home. (on camera): Yes, I see everything packed up there in the back.</s>TREVOR MILLER, RESIDENT OF COLORADO SPRINGS: Yes, everything in the back is my brother and I's stuff. We had three other cars, too, that left our house and those were all packed with our family's supplies. We had about an hour to grab everything that we wanted or needed before leaving our house.</s>HOWELL (voice-over): Some 38,000 people were forced to evacuate earlier this week as firefighters struggled to protect property and hold the line against the wildfire. So far, more than 15,000 acres have been scorched, but firefighters have been able to gain ground. Late Friday, Mother Nature stepped in with much-needed rainfall that Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper says, had a significant impact.</s>GOV. JOHN HICKENLOOPER (D), COLORADO: That rain just dropped 10 or 15 degrees off the temperature, plus, you know, it's the firefighter's best friend.</s>HOWELL (on camera): You got wet yourself here, yes?</s>HICKENLOOPER: Yes. I was standing right there. You know, it's the first time, my grandmother will always say, you know, you're too stupid to come out of the rain. I was too happy to come out of the rain.</s>HOWELL (voice-over): Officials announced Saturday they didn't lose any structures or lose any ground overnight. The fire is now 45 percent contained according to officials that's up from 30 percent containment a day ago, proof that firefighters are gaining the upper hand.</s>RICH HARVEY, RESIDENT COMMANDER FOR THE BLACK FOREST FIRE: We want the fire to come out and fight now. We're ready. We're staffed. We're equipped. Show yourself, we'll take care of it.</s>LEMON: George Howell joins me now live from Colorado Springs. George, what are the concerns now in the evacuated areas?</s>HOWELL: Well, it comes down to this, Don, first of all, we are seeing some of these areas where the mandatory evacuation has been lifted. Others where it still remains in place. And we have weather coming in. So, what is the concern? First of all, as the weather comes in, we'll get rainfall. You see over there? That dark cloud? That is much-needed rainfall, that could help just as much today as it helped yesterday. However, if we get lightning, lightning could start new fires. That's always a concern. Right now the winds are picking up a bit as well, so really we have to watch and wait to see what the weather does, but these firefighters are still doing the job, all the good work of trying to knock this fire out -- Don.</s>LEMON: George Howell, Colorado Springs. George, thank you very much. Firefighters are still on the scene of a huge fire at an Indianapolis recycling company. The billowing black smoke could be seen for miles. There have been reports of several explosions inside the building. No word on what caused the blaze.</s>LEMON: In Louisiana, with the investigation of one chemical plant explosion not even wrapped up, a second blast at a second Louisiana plant kills one person and injures eight. This happened last night in South Louisiana, in Donalsonville. The plant manager says the explosion happened as nitrogen was being off-loaded from a tanker truck. You've heard how dangerous it is to use your phone while driving. Now you see it. Our CNN correspondent got behind the wheel and tried to multitask. Didn't go so well.