CNN iReporter Bryan Maltais of Fort Collins, Colorado, took this picture of the Colorado fire from the cliffs above Horsetooth Reservoir in Larimer County. He started documenting the situation on June 10. "Many people I know have been brought to tears for the people who have lost their homes, and for the destruction of so much forest," he said.
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(CNN) -- Authorities warned of high temperatures and strong winds Sunday as hundreds of firefighters battle a northern Colorado blaze that has destroyed almost 200 homes.
A warning is in effect until 8 p.m. local time, fire officials said, with temperatures expected to be in the 90s and wind gusts of up to 50 mph.
The High Park Fire is west of Fort Collins, and has burned more than 55,000 acres so far. It is about 45% contained. More than 1,600 firefighters were battling the blaze.
It has destroyed at least 181 homes, according to a statement posted on InciWeb, a U.S. multiagency fire response website.
"The assessment is still under way and this number will continue to grow," the statement said.
The blaze has moved through forests and neighborhoods, forcing thousands of evacuations and leaving a trail of destruction. It has claimed one life, a 62-year-old woman found dead in her burned home last week.
"It will be some time before this fire is out, but our challenge now is to make sure we do everything to contain the damage," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who oversees the Forest Service.
Vilsack toured the Colorado blaze and said it is one of thousands burning nationwide. The National Weather Service has issued warnings of high chances of wildfire activity in nine states, including Colorado.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said a tree struck by lightning about a week ago sparked the mammoth blaze in his state.
Elsewhere in Colorado, firefighters are battling an 11,600-acre fire near Pagosa Springs that broke out last month. That blaze is 30% contained.
Meanwhile Sunday, a new fire broke out and quickly spread to 200 acres near Pueblo, forcing some evacuations of residents.
In New Mexico, the Whitewater Baldy complex has scorched more than 290,000 acres, the agriculture secretary said.
Hundreds of firefighters from across the United States are helping local departments battle the blaze. Inciweb reports 303 personnel on site. The blaze was 75% contained as of Sunday.
CNN's Greg Morrison contributed to this report.
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Jessie Couillard watches the High Park Fire a few miles from her house in Glacier View Meadows, northwest of Fort Collins, on Monday, June 18. The lightning-ignited wildfire that started June 9 has destroyed nearly 200 homes.
The High Park Fire rages west of Fort Collins on Monday. The blaze has ravaged more than 58,700 acres but is about 50% contained, authorities say.
A truck offers a message for firefighters west of Fort Collins on Monday. More than 1,700 personnel are battling the wildfire.
Smoke from the High Park Fire rises above the Colorado National Guard Readiness Center near Fort Collins on Sunday, June 17.
A view of the High Park and its large plume of smoke from Fort Collins on Wednesday, June 13.
Pat Wright hugs daughter Stephanie Lauger after finding out Wednesday the High Park Fire hasn't destroyed her house. She will be able to return home three days after evacuating.
A large smoke plume rises from the High Park Fire west of Fort Collins on Wednesday.
Steve Segin of the U.S. Forest Service shows a map of the size and location of the northern Colorado blaze Tuesday, June 12, in Laporte, Colorado.
Residents watch the approaching fire Tuesday in the Roosevelt National Forest west of Fort Collins.
iReporter Victor W. Schendel, a Fort Collins photographer, has been watching the fast-moving wildfire grow and took this photo Tuesday as firefighters attempted to control the blaze.
Colorado's High Park Fire engulfs trees in flames near Fort Collins on Monday, June 11.
A helicopter drops water on a hot spot burning close to homes on Monday near Laporte, Colorado.
Michelle Mellenthin and Chris Huizenga watch firefighting efforts Monday from a Jeep near Laporte.
Flames threaten houses on the eastern front of the High Park fire near Laporte on Sunday, June 10.
Robby Wood, left, of Denver and his 16-year-old nephew, Jacob Wood, watch the thick smoke rise over a hill near Laporte.
The High Park Fire -- about 15 miles west of Fort Collins -- doubled in size overnight to 36,930 acres, or more than 57 square miles, authorities said Monday.
An orange-tinted sky looms over a small barn near Laporte on Sunday.
The fire is behaving erratically, fueled by strong winds, low humidity, high temperatures and dry brush, an official says.
A firefighting helicopter surveys the High Park Fire for hot spots Sunday near Laporte as the wind-driven blaze spreads.
A satellite image from NASA shows a plume of smoke from the High Park Fire about 20 miles northwest of Fort Collins on June 9.
The sprawling wildfire lights up the night sky Saturday in a photo from CNN iReporter Randy S. Macht taken in Louisville, Colorado, south of the blaze.
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