Waldo Canyon fire 45 percent contained

COLORADO SPRINGS, July 1 (UPI) -- The wildfire outside Colorado Springs was more than 45 percent contained Sunday, and some residents were allowed to inspect their properties, officials said.

The Waldo Canyon fire, which destroyed more than 350 homes and killed at least two people since it started June 23, has burned more than 18,000 acres and is the largest wildfire in Colorado history. Evacuation orders for many of the 36,000 residents who were forced to flee have been lifted, The Denver Post reported.

"I have to start all over," 80-year-old stroke survivor and Lupus victim Lauretta Anzalone told the Post after seeing what remains of her home. "Pots, pans, everything, there's nothing left here."

Firefighters reported they have made "good progress" in the past few days on the fire that was zero percent contained for nearly a week.

Meanwhile, the Canyon fire near Blue Ridge Reservoir outside Flagstaff, Ariz., has burned 5,000 acres, the Arizona Daily Sun reported. The fire, which was started by a lightning strike, temporarily shut down highway 87, the Forest Service said.