Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fires in the area around the city of Denver.
The original theory was that it was caused by sparks from fallen power lines, but later information claimed that no fallen lines have been found in the area where the fire started, writes the Washington Post.
Forest fires in December are not uncommon in Colorado.
But the Denver area has had particularly dry conditions during the autumn and has basically been without precipitation - the state was completely without snow for a long time, which is unusual.
Three are missing
Initially, the fire was described as a "New Year's miracle" when it was assumed that no person died.
But now it is clear that three people are missing.
Search efforts are ongoing, but the work is complicated by the fact that a 20 centimeter thick layer of snow that fell during New Year's night covers many of the fire-ravaged and still glowing buildings.
Just under 1,000 buildings have been completely destroyed - the majority of them are residential buildings: 533 in Louisville, 332 in Superior and another 106 in surrounding areas, reports AP.
Several hundred buildings have also been damaged.
Long queues for help
At an aid station in the town of Lafayette, just north of Superior, the traffic jams have been long.
Here, affected families can pick up heating fans and water bottles.
- We have a house, no heat but we still have a house, says Noah Sarasin who works as a volunteer at the aid station, to the news agency AP and continues:
- I just want to make sure that everyone else has warmth on this cold day.
Others are less fortunate.
The Jamal family's house was completely destroyed and they got rid of basically all the belongings.
- We have no photographs from her upbringing anymore, says father Haniff Jamal and looks at the daughter.