Hot, dry weather was forecast for this weekend and that was not good news for crews on the Hayman fire lines.

The number of fires burning across the country has caused the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, to declare the nation at Level Five, the highest level of firefighting preparedness.

Level Five means that fires are burning in all regions and firefighting resources are strained. The center has asked for help from Canada, the military and federal employees not normally assigned to firefighting.

It may be the first time a Level Five has been declared in June, said Neal Hitchcock, acting deputy director for operations for the U.S. Forest Service. The highest level usually is reached in August - the end of fire season.

Wednesday's and Thursday's storms didn't soak the ground but they raised humidity levels and lowered temperatures, making the tough job of cutting fire lines by hand much easier.

HAYMAN FIRE INTERACTIVE VIDEO: Heavy Fire Near Signal Butte 6/18 VIDEO: Over Turkey Rock 6/17 VIDEO: Burned Homes In Douglas County DISCUSSION: How Can Wildfires Be Prevented? SURVEY: Forest Service Liable? SURVEY: Should State's Forests Be Closed? SLIDESHOW: Hayman Fire Explodes 6/18 SLIDESHOW: Deckers Area Fire Tour (Thursday) SLIDESHOW: Working The Fire SLIDESHOW: Dramatic Pictures SLIDESHOW: From Viewers MULTIMEDIA: Causes And Protections SIZE Subdivisions In Zone Perimeter Map At 137,000 Acres Early Fire Growth Early Satellite Image Large Satellite Enhanced Color Satellite With Landmarks EVACUATION Neighborhoods Affected Tips Pets, Large Animals INFO Get Federal Funds How You Can Help Open Fires Banned Penalties Fireworks Shows On? Forest Closure Wildfire Terminology Smell Smoke? Effect On Wildlife RESOURCES Hayman Fire Incident Page Douglas County Jefferson County Teller County National Incident Report Fire Bans

"It wasn't so hot where you felt you were going to pass out from the heat. We had a lot of people the last few days really suffering from dehydration. But today, the hydration problem was nil," firefighter Larry Hammond said Thursday.

Fire crews made some progress building containment lines Thursday and containment is now estimated at 45 percent.

About 1,000 people who had been evacuated were allowed home last night as cooler weather helped firefighters on the frontlines of the massive Hayman Fire.

About 500 residents of Jefferson County got to sleep in their own beds last night, but at a community meeting in Conifer, they were told that they must be ready to re-evacuate if the Hayman Fire flares back up.

Fire command warned that the blaze is a "sleeping giant" poised for another run over the weekend if more unfavorable weather conditions return.

About 300 other Jefferson County residents and more than 8,000 people total are still out of their homes.

The good news is the fire is slowing down and firefighters are making quick progress. The three-headed blaze consumed another 1,000 acres in the past day, bringing the total to 137,000 acres burned. That's the size of Denver, Lakewood and Parker combined.

About 95 structures, 79 of them homes, have been destroyed by the fire.

Using Municipal Firefighters To Battle Wildfires

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman visited the Southern Command Center near Lake George Thursday night and outlined a plan to train 700 city firefighters in Colorado to battle wildfires.

The wildland firefighting training, which could take place next week, would arm city firefighters with the tools and skills to fight fires on federal, state, and private lands. The firefighters would have to pass the same health screening and conditioning tests that are required for federal firefighters.

Veneman also announced the release of $120 million more in federal funds to fight fires in Colorado and other western states and defended a Bush administration plan to thin forests to prevent catastrophic fires.

"It is not a logging policy in disguise. It's for the long-term health of the forest," she said.

A U.S. Forest Service employee, Terry Barton, pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal charges of starting the fire. Bail was set at $600,000.

Community Support Overwhelming

A coffee shop in Woodland Park is brewing up community support and a lot of green for firefighters. The locals are flocking to Java Junction with donations for volunteer firefighters battling a wildfire that continues to inch closer to their homes. The owner of the shop said her customers wanted to help out somehow and it just snowballed from there. The shop started a cash donation fund on Tuesday with $50 and has grown to about $25,000.