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Colorado's most destructive wildfire began June 23 and destroyed 346 homes and killed two people three days later.

Firefighters had trouble establishing containment lines during the first week because of extreme heat, high winds, low humidity and fresh vegetation burning. They made rapid progress in week two however as temperatures cooled and humidity rose.

The wildfire burned more than 18,000 acres, including about 1,500 acres in the Mountain Shadows area where the homes burned.

More than 32,000 people from both El Paso and Teller counties were forced to flee from their homes for days and in some cases longer when the fire was at its peak, but most have since been allowed to return home.

Colorado Springs Utilities crews have restored gas to almost all remaining homes in the northwest Colorado Springs neighborhood and are working to fix areas with excessive fire damage.

Most of the more than 1,500 firefighters who were battling the fire have moved on to other firefighting priorities in the western U.S. The rest are mopping up the Waldo Canyon area and checking for hotspots.

Investigators said the fire started near a popular hiking trail off Highway 24 but have not determined how it started yet.