Black Forest Aerial Photo Day Two
This morning the El Paso County Sheriff Maketa, (actually a very good law enforcement administrator but RWinger politician nonetheless), reported that 360 homes are now totally lost (1205 remain standing in the affected area, an additional 79 are unknown). Yesterday the number was 92 homes burned to the ground, one being a close friend of ours. Last year, we had three friends from our church and my wife's summer employer lose their homes in the famed Waldo Canyon Fire that invaded CO Springs from the mountains on the west, as the area lost 347 homes. (Link to CO Springs Gazette Timeline updates)
This fire also is on the flank of the city, though now on its northern front in an area known as the Black Forest. Simply described this area is heavily forested with pines, junipers and some fur trees as the terrain slopes up towards what is called the Palmer Divide, (an ancient mountain range that runs perpendicular to the Rocky Mountain Front Range). The terrain tops out at about 8000 feet where three upscale ex urban/suburban communities rest known as Woodmoor, Monument and Palmer Lake. The winds are predicted to push the fire lines towards these communities expected to exceed 30 MPH this afternoon, making the fire dynamic.
Google Map of fire boundary as of morning of today
Currently evacuation covers 70 square miles (94000 acres) where the fire first covered 8000 acres then was turned by the wind yesterday going over unburned portions of the day before and grew another 7000 acres. Today could be the worst in that there are now two defined fingers of extreme hot fires and much in the way of three years of drought dried timbers and underbrush. Homes are destroyed in clusters and since it was a rural area there are few fire hydrants. There are at least 34,000 people affected with 13,000 homes, now. If evacuations are ordered for the three Monument Hill communities this all could double again. Coincidentally the original shelter at New Life Church was shut down because of evacuation as the winds changed yesterday where the shelter was relocated to Lewis Palmer HS in Monument to the north. If things get dynamic this too could be threatened today or tomorrow. Right now the evacuations in CO Springs city goes to I-25 which also border the Air Force Academy in this area, so both these assets could also be threatened.
Black Forest Burn and Evacuation Map this morning June 13
The area also has another wildfire west of Pueblo in the Royal Gorge that threatened Canon City that forced the Old Territorial Prison to be evacuated (medium security) of 900 prisoners until the winds blew the fire back off those city limits. Also a report near Cripple Creek of a small fire beginning in the national forest which is on the other side of Pikes Peak that shadows Colorado Springs.
Below the squiggles some personal stories and thoughts...
Day One Black Forest Fire local firefighter overwhelmed early
Tuesday just after Noon the Black Forest Wildfire began to plume from what is suspected to be a smoldering tree from a dry lightening strike the day before. There were weather reports of four lightening strikes on Monday in the local vicinity where the wildfire is said to have begun. By 1 PM local news reported a smoke plume growing in the area of Shoup Rd and Black Forest Road north of Colorado Springs city limits. By 3PM one of our close church friends got the reverse 911 call stating they were in a mandatory evacuation some three miles or more from the fire start. She gathered her two children 7 and 5 yrs, their dog and some emergency belongings and went to another church friend's place south and east of the evacuation area. (That evening that household also was evacuated.)
In the meantime her husband leaving work was able to get through the police barricades and reach their home as the fire made a line for their homestead. Getting some more stuff out he forgot his cell phone which had his wife's new cell number. By 6 PM the fire had spread into their dirt road enclave and by 7 PM his family was homeless. He had no way to find his wife and children so he made his way to the church where we have a adjoining miniature golf course that the youth operate and our adult children manage during summer break. Our son called telling us that he said that his family was now homeless and that he had no way of reaching his wife as he left the phone in the home that was now ashes. We were able to locate them and put them together.
Home on Day One Black Forest Fire burns to the ground
This brought up memories of last year's Waldo Canyon Fire as my wife's summer employer's family were all separated when their home burned to the ground. Coincidentally they are again on evacuation having moved from the west side of the city to the northside abutting up to the Black Forest. The terror of losing a home to a waging wildfire during the chaos of evacuations and losing touch with family members is without much comparison. Also cell lines get jammed with caller traffic.
Another family in our church also lost a home last night as the fire changed direction and burned back through and north of the original path. They are on vacation and their teen age daughter was home and evacuated the first day with the fire safe and a few belongings. The home survived the first night when 92 homes were ID'd as burning but not last night when an additional 248 homes perished.
El Paso County Colorado List of homes affected Black Forest Fire
Our church community has sixteen families evacuated living with friends, family and a few in lodging. But as I type the fire is being fanned again and the smoke plume is growing like a coal fired generating station's smoke stack on cold winter day. There is no containment on this fire despite Air Tankers called in yesterday and now three days of helicopter water drops, plus growing battalions of fire fighters.
Last year Colorado lost over 600 homes to two major wildfires here and west of Fort Collins. This is merely the start of the fire season and month. By comparison the Waldo Canyon Fire burned 18,000 acres, mostly in the mountains and national forest its residue besides the 347 homes it took is now a legacy of an expectant killer flash flood coming down one of two creeks.
UPDATE Interstate 25 is now closed between Baptist Rd (just south of Monument/Woodmoor) and Interquest (exit for New Life Church) for evacuation purposes. Colorado Springs now in Mandatory Evacuation up to North Gate Rd (north entrance for Air Force Academy) and points east and south of there. Fire exploding on east perimeter near the city of Falcon fire now has forced evacuation of 41,000 people, driving north into Elbert County, west towards I-25 (it has jumped CO Hwy 83) and east.