A Colorado prison was evacuated as one of the largest wildfires in state history continued to grow, with officials warning residents of remote areas to be ready to leave as gusty winds and low humidity feed the flames.

New mandatory evacuations were ordered in the Lee fire late Friday night and early Saturday morning as the blaze grew nearly 30,000 acres on Colorado’s Western Slope near Meeker.

People living in Meeker are thanking fire crews as two wildfires continue to burn. Both are burning about 15 miles apart in Rio Blanco County. That's about five hours northwest of Colorado Springs.