Firefighters Gain Ground in Colorado Fire
The Waldo Canyon fire burns off the southern border of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., June 26, 2012. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for all housing residents on the Air Force Academy as this fire continues to spread. The Academy’s Pine Valley housing area is shown in the foreground. U.S. Air Force photo/Mike Kaplan
Day six of the Waldo Canyon fire provided the best weather to date for firefighters. Containment has grown to 15 percent with 16,750 acres burned. Evacuees from the city of Colorado Springs were to learn this evening if their homes had been destroyed by what Mayor Steve Bach called “a firestorm of epic proportions”. A report from KRDO Radio quotes Bach as stating that 346 homes have been lost on 35 streets.
At the morning press conference, Mayor Bach called for increased mitigation efforts in the city west of I-25. He called the fire a “huge wakeup call” for residents living in dense vegetation. The city’s meeting with evacuees tonight is private but a list of the streets affected has been released.
Some of the evacuation orders have been lifted as of late evening. No new evacuation orders have been issued. Residents of Kissing Camels and Holland Park and lower Rockrimmon may return, according to the Denver Post.
To date, there have been no injuries or deaths that are fire related. The fire slowed yesterday, June 27, and allowed firefighters to build firelines on the west and north sides of the blaze. A spot fire north of Rampart Reservoir continues to burn. A ten acre blaze on the Air Force Academy grounds was extinguished. The east flank of the fire, upslope from Centennial Blvd. remains a concern.
Click for a larger image.
Dennis Lieneke, left, and Matt Backeberg, right, pull a fire lines off a truck in preparation for spot fires June 28, Air Force Academy, Colo. Both are firefighters assigned to Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colo. Photo by Christopher Boitz
Tech Sgt. Jason Linta, Bobby Garza, and Dean Prestia cut lines to create a firebreak to prevent fires from jumping June 28, Air Force Academy, Colo. Linta is a firefighter assigned to the AFA and Garza and Prestia are firefighters assigned to Buckley Air Force Base, Colo. Photo by Christopher Boitz
The 153rd Airlift Wing from Cheyenne, Wyo., use a modular air fire fighting system equipped C-130 Hercules aircraft in support of the Waldo Canyon wild fire in Colorado Springs on June 27, 2012. Four MAFFS-equipped aircraft from the 302nd and 153rd Airlift Wings flew in support of the U.S. Forest Service as they fought fires in Colorado. MAFFS is a self-contained aerial fire fighting system that can discharge 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than five seconds, covering an area one-quarter of a mile long by 100 feet wide. Photo by Staff Sgt. Stephany Richards
A helicopter hoists water from the Air Force Academy water treatment plant to dump on the Waldo Canyon Fire June 28. Photo by Christopher Boitz
A helicopter dumps water on the Waldo Canyon Fire that has spread to the outskirts of the Air Force Academy, Colo., June 28. Photo by Christopher Boitz
The 90th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has been postponed. Fire conditions forced the U.S. Forest Service to cancel the July 8 event. The organizers are looking for a date later in the year to hold the event.
Table of contents for Waldo Canyon Fire
- Colorado wildfires threaten more homes
- Waldo Canyon Fire Burns into Colorado Springs
- Waldo Canyon Fire Information Resources
- Military Aids Waldo Canyon Fire Efforts
- Waldo Canyon Fire Forces Academy Moves
- Firefighters Gain Ground in Colorado Fire
- Colorado Springs Begins Fire Recovery
- Gains Made on Waldo Canyon Fire
- Academy firefighters recognized for Waldo Canyon Fire efforts
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This entry was posted on Thursday, June 28th, 2012 at 10:05 pm and is filed under Disasters, Firefighting, Military, Original writing, Original writing, Reporting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
