2012 Fire Season

[Ron Scott]

If you are interested in reading about the current Colorado High Park fire here is the web site:
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_20826343/

[woodtroll]

We are rapping up on a 1700 acre timber fire. It was 3 lightning strikes. Mine was 1.25 acres when we showed up for initial attack the other 2 were around that size. They joined with in 3 hours. The 35mph winds were shifting in the canyons. Up top from winds out of the south east in the canyons out of the north. very interesting. Within 10 hours it was up to 1000 acres.
Looks like I will get my dozer boss signed off.
Fire season is very early this year.

[Rocky_Ranger]

I see the fire on the Lincoln NF burned 224 houses.  That's really bad; don't know on the Colorado fire yet.  We are drier than we have ever been with ERC values - one start away from another disaster...

[petefrom bearswamp]

Info on fires including the high park fire can also be found at inciweb.org. This site has lots of info and a map of the fire.
I have friends in the Bonner peak subdivision .
They are currently evacuated and the fire is within about 3/4 to a mile from their house.
This is the second fire near them this year.
Several years ago a fire burned two neighbor's houses and they were only saved by retardant dropped on their place.

[woodtroll]

Hope the heavies get back to full force soon.

[Ron Scott]

Forest Service Retiree home burns in Wildfire

RUIDOSO, N.M.  A former firefighter with the Forest Service has lost his home in the out-of-control 20,000 acre Little Bear Fire burning in Ruidoso. A Sheriff's Deputy gave Paul Jones the sad news over the weekend that he had lost his home off Highway 48. Jones worked with the Forest Service for 35 years.

The Lookout

[Ron Scott]

Russian Smokejumpers Die in Wildfire

Jim Cherry, President of the National Smokejumpers Association sent us news of fire fatalities in Russia. On June 6 of this year 9 jumpers were killed in a major fire in South Central Russia near the Mongolian border. According to Jim's information, 13 jumpers were involved in the suppression effort and were apparently over run by fire caused by a sudden wind shift. The four survivors were not injured. In the region where the fire occurred several communities have been burned this year.   

The Lookout

[beenthere]

Ron
Thanks for the post. I wondered what Jim Cherry was up to these days.

[Ron Scott]

US Forest Service adds four heavy helicopters to support wildfire suppression

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2012 - U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell today announced the agency is adding four heavy helicopters to the aviation firefighting fleet. "The addition of these helicopters to our aviation fleet will increase our ability to respond quickly and aggressively to fight wildfires and protect lives and property," said Tidwell.  "We will continue to mobilize our firefighting assets when and where they are needed as we respond to a very challenging wildfire season."

Chief's Newsletter

[sandhills]

Anybody know how the Colorado fire fighting is going, we're heading to Estes Park for my sister in laws wedding next week, from what I've seen and heard the folks out there need all the prayers and help they can get.

[wwsjr]

2500 acre fire in Waldo Canyon on west side of Colorado Springs, CO. Zero contained this morning. Evacuations ongoing for Manitou Springs, Ute Pass, and Cascade and much of Colorado Springs west of I-25.  I think about 5,000 people evacuated. I lived in that area few years ago, beautiful place. Total of 8 fires in Colorado today.

[Ron Scott]

Note the fire information listing for each state.

http://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/nfn.htm

[sandhills]

Thank you guys for the information and for the link Ron.

[Rocky_Ranger]

Check out Denver Post for updated info on Colorado fires - 20+ homes lost in Estes Park yesterday due to a cabin catching fire, several major fires in the backcountry not getting much attention.  Manitou Springs evacuation - now that's news...........

[beenthere]

I like this one too.

http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/index.php

[wwsjr]

Waldo Canyon 5% contained this AM, 5100 acres burned. Projected containment July 16th. I have been following this one each day. Good friends in the area, not evacuated yet. I lived in the Mountain Shadows area in the 90's. Latest inciweb report was a 8:00 AM local time.

[ashes]

Stay safe firefighters.
Looks like a bad situation. Does anyone know if this is burning beetle killed areas? I could see this getting pretty bad before it gets better if that is the case.

[woodtroll]

High Park is hitting the beetle kill.

[Ron Scott]

It has just been announced that 346 homes went up in smoke on the Waldo Canyon (Colorado Sprgs) fire. If you want to view photos of the damage go to:

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/index.html

[wwsjr]

KKTV.com, Ch 11, Colo Spgs has been running live video since Saturday. Live incident command briefings are held at 0800 MDT and 1600 MDT daily. Burned houses in Mountain Shadows area within 1 block of house where I lived in 90's. Very sad, some of my former neighbors still live in the area. Good day yesterday, no increase in size and containments lines are holding in most of the areas. A few people have been allowed to return to their homes outside the burn area. They are calling it 15% contained, still spot fires outside the perimeter. 1 fatality found in a house in Mountain Shadows, another person missing from the same household. 

[Ron Scott]

US Forest Service mobilizes more air tankers, MAFFS, to assist with wildfire suppression

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2012 -- The U.S. Forest Service is taking actions to continue to maintain adequate air tanker capability by mobilizing four Department of Defense C-130s equipped with Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems to assist with wildfire suppression efforts in Colorado and elsewhere in the Rocky Mountains and the Southwest.   
US Forest Service mobilizes more air tankers, MAFFS, to assist with wildfire suppression

The Chief's Newsletter   
   

[Bibbyman]

Today the air is hazy. We can smell smoke at times. The wind is out of the west.

Could the haze and smell of smoke be from the fires out west?

We're in mid Missouri.

[Ron Scott]

Yes, it could very well be. The fires may also bring you some weather changes.

[Ron Scott]

Seasonal firefighter news item.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48018300/ns/weather/

[Ron Scott]

All:
If you want to view an outstanding collection of photos of the Waldo Canyon Fire (Colorado Sprgs) go to:
http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2012/06/27/colorado-wildfires-waldo-canyon-fire-colorado-springs/5732/