ORDWAY, Colo. -- Colder, wetter weather is expected to help dampen three major wildfires that have killed two firefighters and a tanker pilot, burned dozens of homes and forced the evacuations of more than 1,000 people.

The fires are burning in Ordway on the eastern plains; at Fort Carson, along the foothills near Colorado Springs; and near Carbondale in the high country.

Tuesday's wind gusts of 50 mph fanned flames that spread out quickly across 11 square miles of grassland near Ordway and forced the evacuation of all of its 1,200 residents. At least eight homes in town and 16 homes in the county have been destroyed, fire information officer Chris Sorensen said. Two volunteer firefighters were killed when a bridge collapsed as their fire truck crossed it Tuesday afternoon.

The fire has charred 8,900 acres. The fire was 90 percent contained by Wednesday morning and firefighters hoped to have it fully contained by the end of the day.

In Fort Carson, a fire burned more than 14 square miles and forced the evacuation of people living near the Army base. A pilot was killed as his single-engine air tanker crashed near a 9,600-acre blaze.

Firefighters have about 10 percent of the blaze contained, but it nearly quadrupled in size overnight, base spokesman Capt. Gregory Dorman said. Two shelters were set up at the post and another at a nearby community college to house the evacuees.

A third fire in Carbondale, in the western Colorado mountains, injured one person and damaged at least two homes.

All three fires broke out after a wetter than normal winter was followed by a dry March. Much of the state was under a National Weather Service red flag warning Tuesday, signifying high fire danger due to the winds.

Aside from the wind, humidity around Ordway was low and temperatures climbed into the 80s Tuesday afternoon.

Fire Forces Entire Town Of Ordway To Evacuate

In Ordway, the town is without electricity and nearly any activity.

All but a handful of residents have left town for the nearby communities of Sugar City and Crowley, where officials set up a shelter.

"We came in last night. It was dark, it was smoky. Driving into town, the trees were glowing -- the cottonwood trees along the highway were just rows of glowing trees. When we came into town, Ordway had no power and it was an evacuated town so the only lights you saw were police vehicles and fire truck vehicles driving around, and the command post center," said Rep. Cory Gardner.

All of the residents were ordered by reverse-911 to evacuate and told to move six miles east, to the town of Sugar City. An unknown number of residents were allowed to remain in a nursing care facility in a section of Ordway not threatened by the fire, Sorensen said.

Brian Walker, 45, stood ready to save his house from the flames armed with a chainsaw, a shovel, and a water hose.

"Well, I got a yard, and I got a home and I want to keep it," he said. "I thought if the fire came, I thought I could do whatever I could to stop it."

Two firefighters responding to the Ordway fire were killed crossing a bridge on Highway 96 Tuesday afternoon. The road was so smoky they did not see that the bridge had collapsed from the fire damage and their vehicle plunged into a ravine. The driver of a pickup truck also fell into a ravine but he survived.

The firefighters were identified as Sgt. Terry Devore, 30, and Officer John Schwartz, Jr., 38. They volunteered with the Olney Springs Volunteer Fire Department but worked as corrections officers with the nearby Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility, Crowley County Coroner Karen Tomky said.

"Not only did these two fine men serve the public by upholding safety and security in their daily jobs, but they further served their communities by volunteering. That they paid the ultimate price is a tragedy," said Ari Zavaras, executive director of the Department of Corrections.

Davore began his career with the DOC in December 2004 and had volunteered with the fire department for 10 years. Schwartz joined the DOC in December of 2007 and just recently joined the volunteer force.

At least two dozen homes have burned but no residents have been hurt.

Scores of livestock, not to mention pets, were killed in the blaze.

AirTracker Reporter Jayson Luber, who flew over the town, located about 122 miles southeast of Denver, said dozens of other structures, including outbuildings and barns, were also destroyed.

It's not known when the mandatory evacuation order will be lifted. Emergency officials have to conduct on-site inspections before they allow people back in their homes.

At least three heavy air tankers, each capable of carrying up to 2,500 gallons of fire retardant were sent to Ordway, said Steve Segin, a spokesman with the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center, which helps coordinate response to fires. Firefighters requested a total of seven heavy air tankers.

Firefighters from 35 agencies are battling the blaze. The fire was first reported at 2:09 p.m. on Highway 96 west of Ordway. Crowley County Sheriff Miles Clark said he's asked the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to help investigate the cause. Some suspected that a controlled burn got out of control.

Gov. Bill Ritter declared a state of emergency, freeing up state resources to help fight the fire and immediately making available $500,000, while FEMA agreed to provide federal money to help pay for firefighting efforts. Ritter plans to visit Crowley County Wednesday afternoon.

At least two state highways were closed.

The Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility, 6 miles east of Ordway, was put on modified lockdown as some staff members went to be with their families, said Katherine Sanguinetti, a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections.

The Crowley Combined Court is also closed until further notice. No cases were scheduled for the remainder of the week.

Fort Carson Fire Grows To 9,600 Acres

A 9,600-acre wildfire is burning in the rolling hills and grassland on Fort Carson, outside Colorado Springs.

A single-engine air tanker that crashed near the area was one of two sent to help battle the blaze, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Mike Fergus. The Aero Seat tanker was based in Sterling and contracted to the Colorado State Forest Service, authorities said.

It had just dumped its load of fire retardent when it crashed at about 6:15 p.m. near Colorado 115, the main road from Colorado Springs to Canon City.

The pilot was identified Wednesday as Gert Marais, 42, of Fort Benton, Mont.

"Marais's plane had come from Sterling and was on his first approach on the fire with a load of retardant. Marias dropped the retardant early, the radio went dead and then the plane crashed," said Steve Segin with the U.S. Forest Service.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.

The fire is about 10 percent contained. Fire crews have been repositioned to the Turkey Creek side for structure protection and to work on the eastern and southern perimeters.

People living near the Army base have been forced to evacuate to three nearby shelters, although the base itself has not been evacuated. Concerned residents should call 211 for more information.

One state highway was closed. The cause of this fire hadn't been determined.

Twenty-five fire crews, or about 300 firefighters, are working on the fire.

Aircraft are currently restricted from flying within 5 miles of the fire.

1 Hurt In Carbondale Fire

A wildfire near Carbondale, in the mountains about 120 miles west of Denver, blackened about 1,000 acres and injured one resident. He has been treated and released.

More than 60 firefighters from 10 agencies have fought to contain 70 percent of the fire.

The fire broke out just after noon, 1.2 miles east of Carbondale along County Road 100. It quickly swept over 1,000 acres in an easterly direction due to high winds, jumping both the Roaring Fork River and Highway 82. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined but is a priority for fire officials.

A private school and nearby subdivisions were evacuated, although some residents were allowed back late Tuesday. Evacuation orders have been lifted for everyone except people who live at The Roaring Fork Preserve at Roaring Fork and the May Fly Bend subdivision. Evacuees can go to the Red Cross shelter at Roaring Fork High School in Carbondale for shelter.

The blaze shut down Highway 82 for most of Tuesday. The highway and County Road 100 and Highway 82 completely reopened at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Carbondale Fire Chief and Incident Commander, Ron Leach, said no homes were burned and no lives were endangered thanks to the the 47 fire agencies that worked on the blaze.

Garfield County sheriff's spokeswoman Tanny McGinnis said three other brush fires flared up in Garfield County on Tuesday. Two of the three were controlled burns that got out of control, McGinnis said.

Anyone about the Carbondale Fire can call 970-963-2491 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The American Red Cross in the area can be reached at 970-401-3423 or 888-545-7800.

An Early Fire Season

This is an early fire season for Colorado. Typically, wildfire crews don't even train until May.

The fire weather forecast has been calling for above-average temperature and below-average precipitation. Compared to last year, drought conditions have worsened for eastern Colorado and western Kansas, according to the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center.

The drought outlook through June indicates persistent drought conditions for eastern parts of the state. The fires in the last few weeks have been the result of increasing drought, strong wind and dead grass, the RMACC said.

"Fire potential will be significant ahead of cold fronts because of the warm temperatures, increasing downslope winds, low humidity and unstable atmospheric conditions. The conditions will result in high rates of spread," RMACC's Early Spring Fire Potential Outlook report said.

However, it's still too early to say how the fire season will shape up for this year, the RMACC report said.