Colorado is experiencing some pretty serious forest fires right now. Like everyone else, we didn’t get much snow, less rain, and are extremely dry this year. Just tonight another fire was started by lightning. I’m not sure if this has made national news, but there are several large fires, and the second largest area of the state is under mandatory evacuation.
32,000 people are under mandatory evacuation on the north west side of Colorado Springs. Type Colorado Springs, CO into google maps to get an idea of how large the area is, then look at this mandatory evacuation map.
This is what it looks like driving south bound on I-25 through the middle of the state. That is the Air Force Academy at the bottom of the picture.
Getting into suburban neighborhoods
All these images are just in the Colorado Springs area. The High Park fire north in Fort Collins has also destroyed a record number of homes in record time, and just two weeks ago fire officials were talking about it taking until October to get contained.
On top of all of this, there is a suspected arson, and rumors of at least 20 fires having been started intentionally (most have been put out). Last fall there was an article about AQ encouraging members to start forest fires in America this summer, but no one is talking about that now. It does make one wonder though.
Just about every day for the last 3 weeks there is news of a new fire in some part of the state. Living in the Denver metro area, we can usually see heavy smoke from a new direction every day after work. New Mexico is also having a record year for fires and I believe Utah is getting hit hard as well. ALL of Colorado is under an all out fire ban, most of the forest is under a shooting ban, and lots of Wyoming is under a fire ban as well. Scary times right now.
Holy Hell! My thoughts and prayers are with those being affected by this right now. I’ve seen some forest fires in my day, but nothing to this extent. Those pictures of the mountain sides on fire are absolutely stunning. Hard to imagine that all the homes in the first few pictures, and especially the last one, will be nothing more than ash in the next few days
Freakin crazy down here. My teg is right at the evac line, worried about the owner of the house may be moving him. Very sad to see the nearly 50k evacs with nowhere to go. My friend Brian opened his shop to any and all in need of bathroom shower or a place to rest. Its on Dublin and Vincent and packed as shit. My thoughts go out to all those displaced. Best wishes.
Even though these are all pictures of the Waldo fire in Colorado Springs, which is currently the most scary, there is also another quickly growing fire in Boulder. The earlier mentioned High Park fire even more north (also west of I-25), is apparently the second largest wildfire in the history of the state.
Thank guys, but the well wishes should be more towards dudes like Deceptakhan who live in the area. I only experienced some mild smoke on occasion.
It is actually raining right now, and has been since about 4 pm. It has rained today more than it has in probably the last 5 months. It is supposed to keep it up for most of the weekend. This state really needs all the moisture it can get.
