Meteoric Escalation of Epic Firefight in Colorado
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Coloradons facing this terrible ongoing disaster.
Colorado firefighters hampered by winds, heat — and meteors
Firefighters in Colorado have battled the odds in trying to contain a blaze that has burned uncontrolled across 100 square miles of forest — encountering precarious winds, heat and fatigue.
On Wednesday, they contended with a new force: meteors.
Authorities grounded firefighting aircraft as a precautionary measure after several reported meteor sightings near the High Park fire area they were trying to contain.
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Colorado wildfire of ‘epic proportions’ displaces 32,000; tests firefighters
(CNN) — Predicted thunderstorms could complicate efforts Wednesday to tame an explosive wildfire that has already chased some 32,000 residents from their homes near Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The fire doubled in size overnight and by Wednesday morning, 15,324 acres were burning with only 5% contained, said Rich Harvey, incident commander of the Waldo Canyon Fire.
“You saw yesterday as bad a fire behavior as you are going to see anywhere, anytime,” he said, referring to extremely dry, hot and windy conditions. “We expect further trouble from the weather today.”
Thunderstorms seem like a good thing in the midst of hot, arid conditions, but they bring with them strong winds that can gust in any direction. “That will make work for firefighters more difficult,” Harvey said.
Winds gusting to 65 mph through mountain canyons blew the wildfire through containment lines into northwest Colorado Springs on Tuesday afternoon.
Richard Brown, the Colorado Springs Fire chief, described it as a “firestorm of epic proportions.”
