August 14, 2013: A helicopter makes a water drop Wednesday afternoon above homes in Rockport Estates in Wanship, Utah. (AP Photo)
Wildfires across several states threatened hundreds of homes, destroying more than a dozen in Utah and prompting concern for air quality in Nevada.
Health officials in northern Nevada were monitoring air quality concerns due to smoky haze from a wildfire in the Tahoe National Forest more than 60 miles away.
Hundreds of firefighters are setting back fires and bulldozing lines to contain a lightning-sparked wildfire that has destroyed 14 homes near a Utah mountain resort town.
For the third day, an evacuation remains in place for residents of 250 homes considered at risk from the Rockport Fire, about 10 miles from Park City.
More than 250 firefighters have the blaze about 25 percent contained. The National Weather Service says winds were expected to remain light Thursday with a high temperature of 89 degrees around Park City.
Officials say they won't let families return to three subdivisions until 6 p.m. Thursday at the earliest. And that may be pushed back if the fire spreads.
Summit County District Fire Warden Bryce Boyer says a 14th house was lost Wednesday, but firefighters saved 22 others from burning in the same area.
A wildfire near Glenwood Springs, Colo., continues to burn and prompted a small number of evacuations.
The Red Canyon Fire is about 390 acres in size and was 27 percent contained Wednesday night, KDVR.com reported.
Firefighters told KDVR.com that the fire has been erratic since it began Monday and wind gusts have pushed the fire as storms moved over the area Tuesday.
Aircraft are helping the firefighters build a containment line around the fire.
In Idaho, fire crews prepared to capitalize on favorable winds and lower temperatures to continue burnout operations around the small mountain community of Pine, where the Elk Complex remained the nation's No. 1 firefighting priority.
KIVITV.com reported that hundreds of acres are actively burning and smoke is in the air.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality experts told KIVITV.com that the air quality is expected to be "upper moderate," but will fluctuate throughout the day.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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