( CNN ) -- Forecasters are expecting warmer than normal temperatures and gusty winds Tuesday in a northern Colorado area already ravaged by a wildfire , not a good combination for the legion of firefighters trying to extinguish the blaze . The High Park Fire had consumed 59,500 acres of woodland by Tuesday , but it was about 50 % contained , authorities reported . Tuesday 's forecast by the National Weather Service is similar to Monday 's blazing heat and winds that whipped up the blaze . But firefighters say they can handle the weather conditions because winds are expected to be less `` tough '' than what they experienced on Sunday . iReport : Photos capture smoke choking Colorado sky . `` The expected winds were not as strong as they were . The amount of fire activity in the big timber on the western perimeter was not as extreme , '' fire information officer Brett Haberstick said , according to CNN affiliate KCNC . `` We have a lot less smoke and a lot better working conditions for the crews . '' More than 1,700 personnel were battling the blaze . Lighting ignited the fire that started on June 9 and has destroyed 189 homes . That number is expected to grow , and firefighters are also concerned that the blaze could shift toward dense stands of trees that have been killed by beetle infestations , according to InciWeb , a U.S. multiagency fire response website . The blaze has moved through forests and neighborhoods , forcing thousands of evacuations and leaving a trail of destruction . It has claimed the life of a 62-year-old woman found dead in her burned home last week . Elsewhere in Colorado , firefighters are battling a fire near Pagosa Springs that broke out last month . That blaze , also blamed on lightning , had grown to more than 13,000 acres by Monday night and was 30 % contained . And a new fire broke out Sunday and quickly spread to 200 acres near Pueblo , forcing some evacuations of residents . In New Mexico , the Whitewater Baldy Fire has scorched more than 296,000 acres , the agriculture secretary said . More than 3,200 fire personnel from across the United States are helping local departments battle the fire , which began on May 16 . The blaze was 82 % contained as of Monday . In North Carolina , a wildfire doubled overnight in the Croatan National Forest along the Atlantic coast , U.S. Forest Service officials said Tuesday . Donald Simon , a Forest Service spokesperson , said the blaze has consumed 21,248 acres since Saturday , including 6,000 acres that were intentionally set afire Monday night in a fire-control effort . The wildfire is 20 % contained and is n't threatening structures , officials said . A large portion of the fire is in the Sheep Ridge Wilderness area , officials said . `` Smoke is our bigger issue , '' Simon said . `` This morning in New Bern ( North Carolina ) , it was like traveling through a thick fog . If you live by , there 's a lot of ash floating by . '' As northern Colorado blaze grows , a look at the dangers of wildfires . CNN 's Greg Morrison , Dave Alsup and Michael Martinez contributed to this report .
NEW : North Carolina 's High Park Fire consumes 21,248 acres and is 50 % contained . A North Carolina wildfire scorches 21,248 acres and is 82 % contained . New Mexico 's historic wildfire is now 82 % contained after burning 21,248 acres .