A Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System -MAFFS- equipped C-130 drops retardant on a section of the Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs, Colo. June 26, 2012. Four MAFFS aircraft from the 302nd and 153rd Airlift Wings are supporting civil authorities as they combat the fire, which has burned since June 23. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher

The big news for this morning is that U.S. highway 24 will reopen today. Residents will be allowed in first, and the highway will reopen to all at 1 pm MDT. The highway has reduced speeds and there are lane closures along the fire line. Firefighters will remain in the area and motorists should drive with caution. Some roads and all trails in the area remain closed.
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U.S. Army Command Sgt. Major Ron Patterson with the 52nd Engineering Battalion uses a bulldozer to build a fire break at the U.S. Air Force Academy in support of the Waldo Canyon wild fire in Colorado Springs, Colo. on June 27, 2012. The 52nd worked in five teams to create containment lines for the fire along the western border to help save Air Force assets. Photo by Staff Sgt. Stephany Richards.

The city of Colorado Springs and El Paso County have begun lifting many of the mandatory evacuation notices issued due to the Waldo Canyon wildfire. Residents are reminded that those areas now opened are under a pre-evacuation warning and they should be prepared to leave again if necessary. The remaining evacuated neighborhoods are in northwest Colorado Springs, generally west of Centennial Drive, and in far southwest Colorado Springs.
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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.
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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

The Waldo Canyon fire has forced some changes in Air Force Academy operations. Fox 31 in Denver is reporting that about ten acres of the Academy grounds have burned.
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The Waldo Canyon Fire burns on the mountainside near U.S. Air Force Academy, Mountain Shadows and Peregrine neighborhoods, Tuesday evening. Photo by Devin Fisher

Press conferences at the Colorado Springs Incident Command center have had to handle many questions about the “lack” of involvement of the U.S. military in fighting the Waldo Canyon wildfire. There are several reasons why thousands of troops are not deploying to the fire lines. As the incident commander has stated, most have no training. In addition, as has also been pointed out, the military is the provider of last resort after all other options have been exhausted.
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