The Associated Press
CONIFER, Colo. — A man who was found dead in his burned home was among the confused and panicked residents who called Colorado authorities as a wildfire raged near them.
Police tapes obtained by KMGH-TV (http://bit.ly/HKrEoc) show that Sam Lucas expressed surprise after responders told him the fire was a controlled burn, despite winds that reached 80 mph. Lucas and his wife were found dead at their home last week.
Another resident urged authorities to rescue a woman who apparently died in the fire. A friend of Ann Appel was concerned for her safety because she was being treated for cancer.
The Colorado State Forest Service has accepted responsibility for the fire, which charred 6 square miles in a mostly rural, mountainous area southwest of Denver.