EVERGREEN, Colo. -- A wildfire continued to burn out of control Sunday night in the Pike and Arapahoe National Forests, less than one mile away from one subdivision in Evergreen.

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Clear Creek, Jefferson County, and Park County all have mandatory evacuations, with more than 2,444 homes involved.

Brook Forest Estates in Clear Creek County, and Black Forest, Black Mountain Ranch Estates, Secluded Acres, Alpine Hills, Buffalo Park Estates, Maxwell Falls, Maxwell Falls Campground and Trailhead, Evergreen Meadows West, and Evergreen Hills in Jefferson County are on mandatory evacuations.

Using reverse 911, Jefferson County Sheriff's asked residents within a two mile radius of the intersection of South Brook Forest and Black Mountain Drive to evacuate.

Those living north of Brook Forest Road were asked to go to Evergreen Middle School. Residents in the south of Brook Forest Road were asked to gather at West Jefferson Middle School in Aspen Park, Colo. That's where the Red Cross set up shelters for evacuees.

Conifer High School was used as the staging area for fire equipment. Conifer High and West Jefferson Middle School will be closed Monday, due to the fire, according to the Jefferson County School District.

The edge of the fire was less than a mile away from one subdivision -- Brook Forest -- but it had not yet damaged any structures Sunday evening.

The blaze, dubbed the Black Mountain Fire, was first reported about 2 p.m., northwest of the Elk Falls subdivision in Park County.

Investigators believe it started in the north fork of North Elk Creek Drainage, 7NEWS reported.

The fire has charred about 400 acres, and is considered volatile and extremely dangerous.

Air attacks on the fire were underway within a half-hour of the first report of the fire, but because of high winds, air tankers were called off a few hours later. They resumed slurry drops just before sundown, when the winds died down.

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Volunteer fire departments in the area were sending crews to battle the blaze, which appeared to be burning in an east, northeast direction.

Winds gusting about 40 mph are pushing the fire towards the populated Brooke Forest area Sunday afternoon.

Fire crews gathered at the command center, set up at Conifer High School, to plan their attack. A Type II federal fire team was due in overnight to manage the firefighting efforts which were to begin again Monday morning at first light.

It appears as if the weather may not cooperate. According to 7NEWS meteorologist Pam Daale, the winds will continue through the evening and no moisture is expected until the end of the week.

Thick smoke could be seen in Denver, Boulder, and several other cities in the Front Range.

No moisture is expected for the next couple of days, Daale said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

More than 400 wildfires have burned about 15,600 acres in Colorado this year, according to the Rocky Mountain Area Coordinating Center of the National Interagency Fire Center.