The 6 Most Gripping Videos of the Colorado Wildfires

From fleeing families to towering infernos, the video clips you need to watch from the Colorado High Park wildfires.

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Aaron Ontiveroz / The Denver Post / AP

A helicopter flies over as High Park fire burns west of Fort Collins, Colo. on Tuesday, June 12, 2012.

Wildfires that began in Colorado on June 8 have destroyed more than 100 structures and have taken one life, Reuters reports, and much of the blaze has yet to be contained. One fire is already the third-largest in the state’s history, and with other conflagrations spreading across Colorado, Utah and  New Mexico, what looks to be a long and deadly summer fire season is getting off to an early start.

(PHOTOS: High Park Wildfires Whip Through Colorado)

But there’s one thing about forests fires: it’s hard to look away. Dozens of camera-toting observers — both amateur and professional — have taken some incredible footage of the conflagrations. Here are our favorites, both harrowing and dazzling:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C7tTnA3pZU&feature=related]

1. This must-watch home video documents one family’s narrow escape from the flames, with terrified young children in tow. This raw footage includes a harrowing drive away from the blaze, starting at 1:29.

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2.  A segment on NBC Nightly News from June 11 features reporting on the out-of-control blaze along with a view of the damage from space (0:50) and personal accounts from evacuees.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS21ikDhV58&NR=1&feature=endscreen]

3. This video, posted by an independent YouTube user, features some striking shots of trees going up in flames (starting at 0:19) and a bold yellow sky (at 0:13).

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4.  This NBC Nightly News broadcast from June 12 includes views of forests and neighborhoods left in wreckage in the fire’s wake.

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5. Cameras on the ground captured a hellish inferno, but the aerial views captured the hazy dreamworld above. WLFI.com’s opening shot of sun glaring off the white smoke is almost serene.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBTYPPN_occ]

6. This Associated Press video of the earliest fires in March features some dramatic night shots (starting at 0:41) of the forest ablaze.

MORE: Western Fires Spread, Hundreds Evacuated