Colorado's Burning!

[senorsheep]

We all knew this was going to be a bad wildfire season due to lack of precipitation in the winter and spring, but, damn, this is getting scary. As bad as the fires in High Park and Boulder were, the Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado Springs is dwarfing them both. Here's a picture a friend of a friend took in Colorado Springs yesterday:



The football field you see in the foreground belongs to the Air Force Academy.

Some other pix of the fire:







30,000 evacuated from their homes, and here's a real heartbreaker - some of the houses were set upon so quickly, people weren't even allowed to rescue their pets. Ugh.

The Ft. Collins and Colorado Springs fires were about 75 miles north and south of me, respectively, but even so, as the winds shifted, they both cast a smoky haze over my city, complete with blowing ash and the smell of flame.

It's a little overcast today, so we're all praying for rain here.

It's very humbling to see how powerless we are when nature's fury is unleashed.

[senorsheep]

[senorsheep]

[senorsheep]

Eh, here, I'll just link the Denver Post's photo gallery...

Linky - http://photos.denverpost.com/mediace...t-staff/38644/

And more here...

Linky - http://photos.denverpost.com/mediace...springs/38597/

[DMT]

Those are crazy pics, we've had storms down here hopefully CO gets some soon.

I'll never forget when I first arrived in Tucson back in June 2003, as we were driving into town from the airport in the evening, we could literally see a wildfire moving down one of the mountains just north of the city. Scary stuff indeed.

[Moonlight J]

the pic in that 2nd post is unreal.

My boss lives in Colorado Springs and I haven't heard from her in 2 days - can't imagine living there right now.

[senorsheep]

Those are crazy pics, we've had storms down here hopefully CO gets some soon.

I'll never forget when I first arrived in Tucson back in June 2003, as we were driving into town from the airport in the evening, we could literally see a wildfire moving down one of the mountains just north of the city. Scary stuff indeed.

The Flagstaff fire outside of Boulder is less than 25 miles from my home. I can see the flames licking up out of the trees in the distance when I drive to the store.



We're getting some pretty freaky-looking sunsets, too...

[dslaw]

the pic in that 2nd post is unreal.

In the upper left there are 3 or 4 houses that look ok. Amazing that almost an entire subdivision is gone but those houses remain. I've seen that with tornadoes but thought a fire would take all of them.

[senorsheep]

In the upper left there are 3 or 4 houses that look ok. Amazing that almost an entire subdivision is gone but those houses remain. I've seen that with tornadoes but thought a fire would take all of them.

I thought it was weird that the houses got torched, but a lot of the trees in the yards survived.

[B-Fly]

Devastating photos. Man.

[Moonlight J]

Isn't the Garden of the Gods right around there as well?

[heyelander]

wow... thoughts and prayers to everyone. Stay safe mate.

[frae]

My friend lives in the springs, but is on the other side of town from the fire. He says the smell of smoke is just everywhere. Those pics are crazy.

[onejayhawk]

We all knew this was going to be a bad wildfire season due to lack of precipitation in the winter and spring, but, damn, this is getting scary. As bad as the fires in High Park and Boulder were, the Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado Springs is dwarfing them both. Here's a picture a friend of a friend took in Colorado Springs yesterday:



The football field you see in the foreground belongs to the Air Force Academy.

I have done a fair amount of hiking in that range of foothills. It is not going to look the same anytime soon.

Isn't the Garden of the Gods right around there as well?

That's a rock garden, but the Pike National Forest is all through there.

J

[Pogues]

In the upper left there are 3 or 4 houses that look ok. Amazing that almost an entire subdivision is gone but those houses remain. I've seen that with tornadoes but thought a fire would take all of them.

I have doubts about the validity of that picture. How could all the houses be burned, but the trees practically right next to them...and by the looks of it ALL the trees, remain unscathed.