We're On Fire

[woolybug25]

Seriously... my entire state of Colorado is on fire. It's been dryer than a witch's crotch and over 90 degrees for what feels like forever. We have hundreds of homes burned to the ground, tens of thousands of people evacuated and the majority of the state under special fire ban.

My friend took this pic as she was pulling onto her street from a long vacation away from home.

Here are some pics of the damage so far from Denver Post aerial.

Photos: Waldo Fire Aerial Photos by the Denver Post staff | Denver Post Photos, Video


If you have family in the area of Colorado Springs, Boulder, Fort Collins or Estes Park then you should really call and check up on them. This is some seriously bogus stuff that we have going on in Sunny Colorado...

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I'm amazed at how little news coverage this is getting. Stay safe, Dude.

 

[FLDomer]

Prayers, stay safe Wooly!

 

[NYIrish14]

Honestly looks like Mordor from the Lord of the Rings. Terrifying. Stay safe though.

 

[chgocub23]

Wooly it is crazy out here. I'm able to see the smoke from the springs down here in Castle Rock and I regularly travel up to FoCo to go golfing and it's just nuts up there. I hope those families that are close stay safe. It's one of the craziest things I've ever seen. I saw that the Air Force Academy is extremely close. It would be sad if it hit that campus because it's beautiful...My prayers go out to those who are affected.

 

[JadeBrecks]

Sorry to hear that wooly. We haven't had rain here in a month and a half. Seeing what you guys are going through really bothers me seeing people still flicking cigarette butts out their cars and knowing the 4th is coming up.

 

[tadman95]

Stay safe Wooly! Thinking of all of you guys, hoping for relief.

 

[BGIF]

Spahn and Sain and Pray for Rain!

 

[NDdomer2]

Prayers Wooly!

Indiana is under burn ban now too. Currently 105 with index at 111. 69 was temporarily shut down at one location due to grass fire that started from a crash. Getting crazy out there.

 

[TDHeysus]

Seriously... my entire state of Colorado is on fire. .....

Here are some pics of the damage so far from Denver Post aerial.

Photos: Waldo Fire Aerial Photos by the Denver Post staff | Denver Post Photos, Video

Ive seen the news on the fires in Colorado, but I didnt get a true indication of the absolute devastation that has happened there. Being a homeowner myself, those pictures in the above link of entire neighborhoods burned away affected me more than I anticipated. My thoughts and prayers too all of those affected in Colorado. Stay safe Wooly

 

[gkIrish]

stay safe man. My family in Greece deals with this all the time. Put your health before your belongings if necessary but hopefully it never gets to that

 

[no.1IrishFan]

My company just showed us pictures of this today at a meeting. We've had to evacuate two of our facilities in Colorado because of this. I hope you're safe man, prayers.

 

[tadman95]

This is bad......

Hundreds of homes destroyed in Colo. fire - Weather - msnbc.com

 

[Rhode Irish]

Harrowing stuff. My thoughts are definitely with anyone in Colorado and anywhere else living in fear that this could happen near them. I know its not exactly the same, but I've lived through two floods and I understand the helplessness and the fear that you and your loved ones could be in peril or that you could lose irreplaceable possessions. Godspeed to everyone in harms way.

 

[dshans]

Could you just keep your damn smoke from drifting into Minnesota? What happens in Colorado should stay in Colorado!

On a serious note: I have friends and family in CO. My heart and hopes go out to all of them. The same goes for those dear to me in Florida (Debby and other potential hurricanes/tropical storms/depressions), Louisiana (storms, oil spills) and the west coast (earthquakes, tsunamis). The New York side of my life are tough as nails and can handle what comes their way.

Stay safe, stay well, stay sane.

 

[Bluto]

Man...having been born and raised in Cali I can totally relate. Stay safe.

 

[Redbar]

Keep us posted Wooly, we'll keep you all in our prayers.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

 

[beryirish]

^^^that is a horrific snapshot before/after whiskey...jaw dropping prayers to the families......since there are so many fires going on right now I'm not sure what one but they are saying it was arson...some horrible people walking this Earth I just don't get it.

 

[woolybug25]

^^^that is a horrific snapshot before/after whiskey...jaw dropping prayers to the families......since there are so many fires going on right now I'm not sure what one but they are saying it was arson...some horrible people walking this Earth I just don't get it.

That was the Waldo Fire that Whiskey posted above. All of the other fires have been naturally caused, but it has been confirmed that the Waldo Fire was arson.


If they find the person that did it, he is going to pay dearly. He cost the state tens of millions of dollars, destroyed over 300 homes (and counting) and killed one person.

 

[Old Man Mike]

My friend's parents have evacuated their home in Colorado Springs and as of the other day did not know if it had burned or not. Prayers to them and all the Coloradoans affected.

Some of this is everyone's fault, as certain of our "innocent" but systemically-impacting technical ways-of-life contribute to maxing-out things like the numbers and depths of these droughts. I studied this stuff as a teacher for many years. It is my opinion that it is too late to change any of it in any reasonable timeframe and we must simply adjust to things like the conflagrations. This depresses me... even moreso when I think of places as beautiful as Colorado Springs.

 

[NDdomer2]

.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Scientifically that's true, for forest "nutrition" particularly for things like phosphates.... BUT this isn't supposed to happen at too great a frequency in the "old forest burns by lightning strikes" cycle. THAT is NOT doing any "nutritional" good. Plus the concept seems to bring a strange off-tune note into this discussion of human tragedy. ... maybe that's just me.

 

[NDBoiler]

I know the fire's are in a residential area now but it made me think of this video on Yellowstone I watched about the fires are necessary for replenishing the forest or something.

The wife and I went to Yellowstone on vacation for about a week back in 2005 and you could still clearly see evidence of the 1988 fire, but also how the forest naturally reclaims the burnt out areas over time. If I recall hearing correctly, some of the coniferous trees' cones burst and release their seeds when exposed to high heat for just this reason. Definitely sad to hear about the Colorado situation with folks losing their homes/lives though.

On a side note, outstanding vacationing in Yellowstone & Grand Teton if you ever get the chance, do it!

 

[NDdomer2]

Which is why I noted different areas, but my bad I'll remove.

 

[woolybug25]

Which is why I noted different areas, but my bad I'll remove.

No harm, NDdomer. Fires are a natural part of the ecosystem out here and they are certainly expected with our current situation of severe drought paired with years of pine beetle infestation (most of our pines in CO have been killed by a beetle). That being said, the Waldo Fire is not a natural fire caused by lightning. It was caused by arson. An idiotic and criminal act that deserves severe punishment.

Whomever started the Waldo Fire will most certainly be put in prison for the rest of their life (or close to) if caught.

 

[NDdomer2]

Rightfully so. How close were these two fires to each other geographically.

 

[woolybug25]

Rightfully so. How close were these two fires to each other geographically.

So the Waldo Fire is in Colorado Springs (1 hour south of Denver)

The High Park Fire was outside of Fort Collins (1 hour north of Denver) - This is now officially "contained"*

There are also two smaller fires around Boulder and Estes Park, but neither have caused the damage of the aforementioned fires.


Keep in mind though, it's June still. Our true fire season goes historically from mid July through August. This year, we have had more fire damage than any year in history before the season even starts. We depend primarily on snow melt for water. Colorado is extremely dry and it rarely rains (we have over 300 days of sunshine a year). This year, we had 5% of our historical average snowfall in the mountains. Denver is already on water restrictions and it's only going to get worse before it gets better.

*Contained fires do not mean that they are out. It simply means that they have contained the fire into a specific area that it cannot escape from. That's the theory anyway. There are plenty of examples of "contained" fires escaping again.

 

[irishff1014]

Stay safe wooly prayers for everyone out there.

 

[woolybug25]

You can now see the damage from space...

Wildfires: A family's memories 'just burned'