U.S. Northern Command has announced that it was activating all eight of its C-130 Hercules firefighting aircraft to battlewildfires across the western United States. The move brings to bear the aircraft’s significant capability in what has been a deadly fire season. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com – be sure to check out the video here too.
Just as firefighters finally seemed to be gaining ground on massive fires along the Colorado Front Range, a new fire has erupted on the state’s Western Slope. The Pine Ridge Fire in De Beque Canyon has forced some area residents to evacuate and temporarily closed Interstate 70. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com and be sure to check out the amazing photos.
As firefighters continue to battle a large wildfire near Colorado Springs, the extent of destruction caused by the fire is now being realized. While assessments will continue in the coming days, it is now known that at least one person has been killed and nearly 350 homes destroyed. Get the latest on the fire and view new pictures of the blaze on Examiner.com
A video posted to YouTube by professional trainers based in Colorado Springs shows the apparent early stages of the Waldo Canyon Fire on Saturday, June 23. Following the timeline in the video, it clearly shows the fire starting in the early afternoon and quickly becoming an inferno. Read more about the harrowing escape and watch the video on Examiner.com
Summer is barely a week old and yet hundreds of thousands of acres in the West have burned causing tens of millions of dollars in damage. As Colorado and New Mexico cope with record-setting disasters, many are asking questions about the lack of a competent air tanker fleet after a decade of decline. Read more on Examiner.com about why President Barack Obama may face tough questions when he comes to Colorado tomorrow.
Tuesday afternoon the Waldo Canyon Fire west of Colorado Springs exploded with extraordinary ferocity. The blaze moved toward the Air Force Academy prompting the base to evacuate some personnel.
The scene that evening was an eerie one as the sky was darkened by the smoke and the setting sun provided an orange cast. Click here to view a slideshow on Examiner.com of some amazing photos from the academy as the flames encroached.
The only Department of Defense wildfire fighting team is being deployed to aid in the battle against wildfires ravaging Colorado. The hot shot crew from Vandenberg Air Force Base is expected to be on the lines of the Waldo Canyon Fire near the Air Force Academy. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com and check out the amazing slideshow of the fire approaching the academy.
With wildfires raging across much of the Colorado high country, nearly half of all available resources in the nation have been deployed to our state. Today the City of Thornton said it would be lending a hand in the battle against these deadly and damaging fires.
The Thornton Fire Department will be joining the multijurisdictional effort and deploying a crew and fire engine to assist with the Flagstaff Fire burning west of Boulder. The blaze started late Tuesday afternoon and forced the evacuation of more than two dozen homes.
While the fire is not the largest or most critical one in the state, by Thornton sending a crew it helps to free up other resources to battle other blazes like the Waldo Canyon Fire near Colorado Springs.
ThorntonWeather.com offers our support for the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to protect us and others across the state. We pray for your safety and success as we deal with this horrible summer of fire.
Update, 2:15pm, from the City of Thornton: “Fire fighters from the Thornton Fire Department mobilized to assist with the Flagstaff Fire in Boulder on June 26. A “Strike Team” from Thornton went to Boulder to provide assistance with structure protection. The Thornton Fire Department remains on standby to assist with any structure protection requested by agencies fighting the fires in Colorado.”
More coverage from Examiner.com:
Just days into summer Colorado was already experiencing a devastating season of wildfires. On Tuesday the fires became an inferno forcing more than 30,000 residents across the state to evacuate ahead of the flames. Get the latest on the Waldo Canyon Fire, Flagstaff Fire and more on Examiner.com
Colorado’s deadly and destructive wildfire season continues with as many as a dozen blazes burning in recent days. Smoke from the fires has blanketed parts of the state in recent weeks and new NASA satellite imagery shows the smoke plumes from some of the blazes. Read the rest of this story and view the images on Examiner.com.
