Colorado Fires

[DonH50]

My thoughts and prayers tonight are with all my friends and colleagues evacuated after the fire blew up this afternoon. My company is right on the evacuation line and the facility is being shut down. Our home is about 15 miles north and smoke is thick. I worked a fire line in my youth; hopefully never again. This is a grim reminder of how transitory things can be.

Some interesting sites, not updated yet since the firestorm that happened around 4 pm this afternoon:

www.inciweb.org -- incident 2929
www.geomac.gov -- Waldo Canyon fire (you can zoom in and see my place of work)
http://www.gazette.com/articles/fire-140851-highway-waldo.html (update to get the latest news)

Meantime friends of friends up north are being evacuated by another fire, and folk out east were burned out of their house. Scary times.

 

[treitz3]

I am sorry to hear of such sad news, Don. My prayers go to you, your family, neighbors and your community. The folks down in Florida are unfortunately battling just the opposite. Not fire but rain and floods. Be safe.

Tom

 

[RBFC]

Prayers out.

Our good friend's son, currently deployed in Afghanistan, lives in Colorado Springs near the Air Force Academy. Their home is threatened and they are awaiting evacuation orders.

Lee

 

[DonH50]

Where abouts? The two biggest housing developments on the AFA, at the southern end, are being/have been evacuated. The rest is under pre-evac. We are about five miles north of the AFA's northern end (and about three miles east). AFA people are being sent to Ft. Carson, on the south end of Colorado Springs.

 

[Steve williams]

My daughter lives in Boulder and they are on pre evacuation.

 

[DonH50]

Heard there was a new fire up there tonight -- hope she is OK!

Some places went from pre-evac to evac in two hours; others went from nothing to get out NOW. Scary times.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Yes it's really scary and everyone's thoughts have to be with all those people! Isn't this the second big fire in CO in two years? Remember last year that Steven Stone's (of TAS) home was threatened but luckily was saved.

 

[ack]

Our thoughts are with you and your friends.

 

[mep]

Don-I hope everything works out. We all need to pray for rain.

 

[cjfrbw]

I have an acquaintance whose son died fighting the Yosemite fires years ago. My father's second wife's parents died in SoCal fires many years ago. My old hippie roommate from the day had his ranch in the Riverside high desert commandeered by the fire patrols a few years ago to fight those fires.

It is serious business, and very scarey.

 

[MylesBAstor]

I have an acquaintance whose son died fighting the Yosemite fires years ago. My father's second wife's parents died in SoCal fires many years ago. My old hippie roommate from the day had his ranch in the Riverside high desert commandeered by the fire patrols a few years ago to fight those fires.

It is serious business, and very scarey.

Yes conditions can change in an instant

 

[Steve williams]

the Waldo Canyon fire is getting very close to the Air Force Academy

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

the Waldo Canyon fire is getting very close to the Air Force Academy

View attachment 4032

Is that a current picture Steve? Very, very scary indeed!

 

[Steve williams]

That is very current. You can see the air force academy stadium at the foot of the mountain

 

[RBFC]

The fire came within two blocks of our friend's son's house there. A change in wind direction has spared them so far, but they've only earned a short repave where they can gather a bit more of their belongings and get away again.

Lee

 

[DonH50]

Monument is under pre-evacuation order. My house is not, but at about three miles away I am trying to think about and pack some essentials just in case. Also helping friends with cutting and providing a storage place (for a little while).

Not as bad today but still growing our way and every way. #1 dangerous fire in the nation, a very dubious honor. Deck is covered with ash, though a storm earlier cleared the air, mostly, briefly. No rain (few drops, dried instantly).

Humidity up to 19% from 2% (!) yesterday and a little cooler, but the fire fighters say not enough to help the lines.

Going to take a break and watch a movie tonight, keep off the local news for a bit (sanity break).

 

[jazdoc]

One of our dearest friends saw that their house was safe on an aeriel photo on the Denver Post website but several of their neighbor's houses are burned to the ground. Their house is in the lower right corner. The houses in the adjacent greenbelt are incinerated...

 

[NorthStar]

13 hours ago ...

​

Anyone knows what started those fires? I read something, but it seems so unreal! ...

* I pray for all Coloradans who are affected by this enormous natural tragedy.
I remember too well the Kelowna fires from few years back.
...Rich too, our vinylphile resident member.

 

[NorthStar]

This is what I read two or three days ago ...

--- Too many wildfires caused by gun owners, says Utah governor (+video)

...So after all, maybe not so 'natural' a tragedy.

 

[DonH50]

No word on cause. The initial flash point is well inside the fire perimeter and thus inaccessible to investigators (or anyone else). Conditions are much better today, but winds from southern thunderstorms just sent a huge plume of smoke our way. Our deck is covered with fine ash and we are 10+ miles from the actual fire. My workplace is still closed due to being in the mandatory evacuation area.

I would very much prefer to leave the pro-/anti-gun debate out of this thread.