Official Thread for all 2012 Colorado Fire Season Topics (Colorado Springs, Boulder: camps, closing)

[DurangoJoe]

Originally Posted by wanneroo

I think that is the mistake many make is that they think if they live on the prairie or high desert, they are somehow exempt from some sort of impact on the earth. The reality is those desert and prairie areas are teeming with their own wildlife and plants. In some cases those desert areas have more variety in plants and animals than those high elevation treed areas. Also fire likes to visit the desert and the prairie as well.

Why would anyone ever think that they have no impact on the earth? If you disturb the soil & vegetation to build a house, install a septic system to process wastewater, and emit gases from burning fuel of any kind to heat your house, you're making an impact regardless of what you might think. The challenge is to minimize your impact because it's impossible to have "no impact".

Embers aside, any fire that tries to come near my land is going to have to cross hundreds of acres of irrigated pasture & alfalfa fields. The land sits smack dab in the middle of horse & cattle farms up on the mesa. I have no illusions about the dangers that may be involved no matter where I live but having lived in a flood plain and experienced two 500 year floods within 20 years, it becomes a game of "pick your natural disaster". Doesn't matter where you live, there will always be some sort of natural disaster to consider. Earthquakes, tornadoes, severe storms, floods, you name it. My point is nothing more than if nature had been allowed to take course in the Colorado forests, there would have been periodic wildfires over the years that would have thinned the forests to levels where they would not contain acres & acres of tinder.

My home plans include a metal roof and concrete Hardie board concrete siding or stucco exterior so I'm pretty well prepared for embers as well. There's just not a whole lot to burn out where I am because it's mostly irrigated & green. I also live smack dab on an irrigation pond (actually a portion of it on my land) so there is easy access to approximately 10 acres of water.

We are also required by our architectural review committee to maintain & restore any natural vegetation disturbed by the building process. There will be no fancy landscaping or lawn. Lawns just suck water. No use for one in Durango. I anticipate that being on waterfront land, I will see lots of wildlife, and I can't wait to experience it.

[bluescreen73]

The Last Chance fire is 95% contained, but it burned 38,400 acres in a matter of hours and likely wiped a good portion of Last Chance off the map.

Colorado wildfire: 38,400 acre blaze burning at Last Chance - The Denver Post

[Shuffler]

We have property Northwest of Livermore. They got on top of a lightning-caused spot fire there on Sunday afternoon/evening. This is about 2mi north of where the Stuart Hole fire was on 6/4.

Not many trees, but lots of dry grasses & shrubs that fire can rip through in no time with the kind of wind that blows up there.

Gonna be a helluva Summer if this keeps up...pretty sobering.

[bovinedivine]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

The Last Chance fire is 95% contained, but it burned 38,400 acres in a matter of hours and likely wiped a good portion of Last Chance off the map.

Colorado wildfire: 38,400 acre blaze burning at Last Chance - The Denver Post

Thanks for the link. A flat tire, a blowout, a spark, an inferno. Can happen anywhere now, anytime.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

While the direct impact of the current Colorado fires--burnt areas, closed off areas, etc.--is very small, the indirect impacts of the drought and fires--poor air quality, low streamflows, brown and quickly browning vegetation, rapidly falling reservoir levels, etc.--are widespread and pervasive. When many people are scraping to find enough money to take even a modest vacation this year, I can't in good conscience recommend that they come to Colorado--at least not until we get some decent rain to lower the fire danger and green things back up a little bit. As it stands right now, forecasts are indicating at least of another week of high temperatures, very low humidities, and little or no rain across most of Colorado. I just spoke to some Forest Service people today who say, candidly, that the probability of even more large fires is "near 100%" until weather conditions change. More ominously, they admit that if the Southwest Monsoon is weak, the fires "will burn until it snows."

I wouldn't recommend anyone come here to go camping, either. I will recommend my friends and family come here for my daughter's wedding in September. I thought fire was supposed to be "nature's way", anyway.

[MtnJam]

Uncontrolled fire behind the Flatirons in Boulder. Very large smoke plume. They're calling it the Flatirons Fire. No details just yet. All I can say is that firefighters are getting stretched too thin.

[Mike from back east]

Some photo's of the Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado Springs are found here. These pix were taken from Pine Creek High School at 4PM today. The winds are from the west, not only blowing smoke over the ridge, but also the fire has crossed the ridge and is threatening the Cedar Heights, Mountain Shadows, and Peregrine areas of homes for which a mandatory evacuation order was issued within the hour.

The fire seems to be spreading rapidly down the nearest ridge seen in the photo.


Here's one sample of the photos.

[2bindenver]

Reminds me of former Governor Owens statement during the Hayman fire "It looks as if all of Colorado is burning."

I pray for an early monsoon season and lots of rain.

[hollyt00]

It is really terrifying to watch. Just watching the TV while watching the flames almost pour down the ridge by Mountain Shadows is ...really terrifying The fire is pretty scary.

[bovinedivine]

Here's the news on the Boulder Flatirons Fire, way too close to the City for comfort:

Flagstaff Fire: Blaze at 200-300 acres; pre-evacuation orders for south Boulder - Boulder Daily Camera