(CNN) -- Much-needed rain and forecasts predicting cooler and wetter weather prompted Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper to lift a statewide fire ban Sunday. "Mother Nature is finally giving us some relief," Hickenlooper said in a statement. "Even though the 2012 wildfire season is far from over and still challenging, we believe conditions are such that local authorities and federal land managers ought to resume control over fire bans in their jurisdictions." A number of Colorado counties have fire bans in place, which will remain unchanged by Hickenlooper's action, his office said.
Colorado has been plagued by several major fires recently, including the devastating Waldo Canyon blaze, which scorched more than 18,000 acres since beginning June 23 and destroyed 346 homes in Colorado Springs. The fire -- the most destructive in Colorado's history -- was 98% contained as of Sunday, officials said. The High Park fire, which burned more than 87,000 acres and destroyed nearly 260 homes in northern Colorado, was 100% contained, officials said. Two other fires, the Weber fire and the Little Sand fire, were at 90% and 40% containment, respectively, as of Sunday, the governor's office said. No new fires were being monitored or supported by the Colorado Office of Emergency Management.
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