As the 416 wildfire turned another 1,247 acres of heavy pine forest into ash and charred stumps in a 24-hour period, a battalion of firefighters notched yet another day without the fire injuring any of the 1,100 firefighters or destroying any of the 2,700 evacuated homes.

“I think we’ve had help from the angels,” said Rob Powell, operations chief for the fire that has now burned 23,378 acres in 12 days. “We’re not out of the woods by any means but we’ve been very fortunate there have not been any homes burned or firefighters hurt.”

While firefighters have been able to protect homes, the wildfire will close the San Juan National Forest in southwest Colorado for the first time in its 113-year history.

In many ways, the favorable outcome so far is due to skilled planning by fire control experts and tireless work by a regimental-sized team of experienced firefighters, Powell said.

Read the full story from The Denver Post.