( CNN ) -- Sad . Helpless . Shaken . That 's how Morgan Pace felt as she drove past a large plume of smoke near her home in Monument , Colorado , which is about 20 miles north of Colorado Springs . It was n't an isolated fire , but a large and growing conflagration that has spurred thousands to flee their homes . `` It was just surreal , '' said Pace , a CNN iReporter . Fear and anxiety were common Wednesday in much of central Colorado thanks not just to one , but two major wildfires that have threatened lives and property . Pace , a 38-year-old mother of four , is among tens of thousands affected directly and indirectly by the Black Forest Fire . So , too , is Lisa Aggarwal . After a sleepless night , she packed up and left her Colorado Springs home on Wednesday -- a hot and blue sky day , except for the looming smoke -- along with her three young children . `` My family is scared and just trying to remain calm , '' Aggarwal , another iReporter , said Wednesday . As of Wednesday afternoon , the Black Forest Fire had spread to 8,500 acres -- none of which were considered `` contained '' -- according to the Colorado Office of Emergency Management . `` We have some very unpredictable conditions , '' El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said at an early media briefing . `` Priorities are saving lives ( including ) protecting first responders and firefighters . '' At an afternoon update , he said the winds had shifted and moved the fire in two directions . He anticipated the fire would continue to grow by 3,000 acres . Mandatory evacuation orders , which extended over a 55-square-mile area , affected about 9,000 people in more than 3,400 households . Thankfully , as of Wednesday afternoon , there were no reports of casualties , but one person might be missing , Maketa said . Still , at least 92 structures were labeled as lost . Alicia Welch had two reasons to worry : Her son was out at a day camp before the flames forced them to head home , and her husband was still out hiking in another endangered area with Boy Scouts . `` He said that a lot of the boys , the Scouts he knew what was going on . The leaders care about their families and what 's going on at home , '' Welch told CNN , her comments cut off as she broke down for a moment , overwhelmed with emotion . The Royal Gorge Fire , meanwhile , is burning on the other side of Colorado Springs , about 55 miles to the southwest . Authorities downgraded the number of acres burned from 3,800 to 3,100 late Wednesday . It was less than half the size of the Black Forest Fire . But it likewise was 0 % contained and had damaged at least three structures , the state office of emergency management reported . It triggered the precautionary evacuation of some 905 inmates from the Centennial Correctional Facility , located in Canon City , between midnight and 9 a.m. Wednesday . Most of the inmates are `` special needs '' -- meaning they receive medical treatment -- said state corrections department spokeswoman Alison Morgan . The famous Royal Gorge Bridge that spans the Arkansas River is still intact but needs to be inspected before it can reopen for tourists , a spokeswoman for the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park said . The suspension bridge , which is 956 feet above the river and among the highest in the world , is made of more than 1,000 wooden planks . `` We did not know until today whether the bridge was still standing , '' Peggy Gair said . Gair says fire at the park burned a visitor 's center , a tramway building , a carousel and several restaurants . Are you there ? Send an iReport . There were other fires in the state as well , including in Grand and Huerfano Counties . Statewide , officials warned that such blazes have proven tough to handle due to a combination of factors . `` Fire severity is extreme as reported in multiple areas , '' the state office of emergency management said , `` and fires are escaping initial attack , as evident by the number of large fires . '' CNN 's Ashley Fantz , Ed Payne , Dave Alsup , Steve Almasy and Carma Hassan contributed to this report .
NEW : One of the highest bridges in world still standing , park spokeswoman says . Evacuation orders issued for about 9,000 people over 55 square miles . `` My family is scared and trying to remain calm , '' a Colorado mother says . The Royal Gorge Fire southwest of Colorado Springs also is n't contained .