Colorado wildfire 30 percent contained

BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 9 (UPI) -- A fierce wildfire that has destroyed nearly 170 homes around Boulder, Colorado, was 30 percent contained Thursday morning, firefighters said.

The Fourmile Canyon Fire had grown to 6,365 acres by Thursday morning and fire crews were braced for another round of gusty winds in the Boulder area.

Some of the approximately 8,000 residents of the area who have been evacuated could be allowed to return home briefly to pack up some items and grab other personal papers, fire officials said.

"I'll walk through the house and I'll be in a better frame of mind," evacuee Jenny Brucker told the Denver Post.

The Boulder (Colo.) Daily Camera said fire crews were relying largely on hand tools and air drops of fire retardant because the steep terrain has limited the use of bulldozers to clear fire breaks. Some light rain in the area late Wednesday helped out, but there is no precipitation in the forecast for the immediate future.