Colorado wildfires

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Colorado Fire May Have Started on Sect's Land

Witnesses saw something burning on property of Twelve Tribes

(Newser) - Moments before a wildfire raged through Colorado suburbs last week, a structure was spotted burning on land owned by a Christian fundamentalist sect. Investigators working to determine the cause of the fire are now focusing on that property, the New York Times reports. Witnesses have reported seeing a structure burning,...

Officials Now Count 2 People Missing After Fire

Family says 91-year-old woman couldn't escape her burning home

(Newser) - After wildfires races through two Colorado towns on Thursday, local officials said no one was killed, which the sheriff said would be "our very own New Year’s miracle." Now they're worried that the announcement was premature, the Denver Post reports. Local officials had been working through...

Coloradoans Return to Where Homes Stood
Coloradoans
Assess Fire Loss
photos
Dec 31, 2021 4:40 PM CST

Coloradoans Assess Fire Loss

One woman finds just the mailbox still standing

(Newser) - Forrest Smith fled his home in Louisville, Colorado, with only a coffee cup, a water cup, and his cellphone. In the rush, as hot ashes burned him while he started his car, he'd even left behind his wallet, USA Today reports. "For some reason, I'm thinking in...

'This Is the Kind of Fire We Can't Fight Head On'

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated northwest of Denver

(Newser) - An estimated 580 homes, a hotel, and a shopping center have burned and tens of thousands of people were evacuated in wind-fueled wildfires outside Denver, officials said Thursday evening. Just a few injuries have been reported so far, but authorities didn’t rule out finding out later about more severe...

'I Think We're Making History,' Pilot Said. Then He Crashed

Marc Olson died Tuesday during pioneer mission to battle Colorado wildfire at night

(Newser) - A pilot who'd flown for 42 years—32 of those spent in the Army and Air Force— died Tuesday during a pioneering effort to fight a Colorado wildfire at night. Marc Thor Olson of CO Fire Aviation successfully completed a water drop over the Kruger Rock Fire in Larimer...

Note From Colo. Firefighters Made a Grown Man Weep

Dan Stones will be forever grateful to 'Engine 1446'

(Newser) - Dan Stones was prepared to see ashes when he arrived at his family cabin near Granby, Colorado, where the second largest wildfire in state history is raging. The East Troublesome Fire had been burning within 30 miles of the cabin, which Stones tweeted was located "inside the burn line....

Colorado to Get a Very Colorado Break on Wildfires

Snowfall to help crews, but dry conditions will be back

(Newser) - Dry, windy conditions have made it tough for crews to contain the two largest wildfires in Colorado history. Officials are counting on help from above: a quick snowfall. "We're going from critical fire danger ending at 7pm to a midnight winter storm watch," said a National Weather...

Danish Man Arrested as Colorado Wildfire Destroys 100 Homes

Authorities say he was in the country illegally

(Newser) - More than 100 homes have been destroyed by a Colorado wildfire that investigators say was started by an illegal campfire. San Luis Valley Emergency tweeted Monday night that 104 homes have been destroyed so far by the wildfire east of Fort Garland. The blaze has burned 89 square miles and...

Alabama Campers Arrested Over Colorado Wildfire

More than 600 acres have been scorched, 2K people evacuated

(Newser) - More than 50 Colorado National Guardsmen are helping hundreds of firefighters battle a blaze that the Boulder County Sheriff's Office says was started by two careless campers from Alabama, USA Today and the AP report. Jimmy Suggs, 28, and Zackary Kuykendall, 26, of Vinemont were arrested Sunday and charged...

Colorado Fire May Wipe Out Tourist Town

South Fork evacuated, was used in 'Vacation' movie

(Newser) - The mountain resort of South Fork, Colorado, is a ghost town today as a massive wildfire approaches. (If you've seen the Chevy Chase movie Vacation, you've seen the place: The Griswolds picnicked there, notes AP .) The town has 400 full-time residents, all of whom had evacuated by...

Colorado Fire Sets Destruction Record

Death toll now at 2

(Newser) - The Black Forest Fire, near Colorado Springs, has claimed 360 homes, a record for the state, the Denver Post notes in its live blog. Meanwhile, 15,700 acres have burned and the fire is just 5% contained—and the death toll now stands at two. Some 38,000 have evacuated,...

Colo. Fire Forces Evacuation of 900 Prisoners

4 blazes have destroyed dozens of homes

(Newser) - Wildfires are raging in Colorado, and one of them caused more than 900 prisoners to be evacuated from a state prison early today. The medium- and low-risk prisoners were taken by bus to other prisons, a spokesperson tells the AP . The fire hasn't actually reached the Colorado Territorial Correctional...

Heed These Wildfires, Climate Change Skeptics

Things are only going to get worse unless we change ways: Essayist

(Newser) - Political scientist Mark Lubell has been trying to convince his nuclear engineer dad of the dangers of global warming for years now, and he just got a big helper in the form of Colorado's Waldo Canyon wildfire. Lubell's parents were among those who had to evacuate, he writes...

Air Tanker Crashes While Fighting Wildfire

No word yet on crew's status in South Dakota crash

(Newser) - At least one major blaze is finally coming under control, but wildfires aren't done wreaking havoc across the West : In South Dakota yesterday, a military air tanker crashed while fighting the White Draw Fire, which has burned through 4,200 acres since Friday and is 30% contained, CNN reports....

Obama Tours Colorado Wildfire Damage

He tours Colorado Springs neighborhood

(Newser) - President Obama toured some of the areas devastated by Colorado's wildfires today, issuing a declaration that frees up federal funds for the state. He also thanked firefighters and other emergency workers, saying: "The country is grateful for your work. The country's got your back." Firefighters, meanwhile,...

Colorado Wildfire Claims 1st Victim

One other resident of home also missing

(Newser) - The Waldo Canyon fire blazing through Colorado Springs has claimed its first victim: Human remains were found in one burned home, police announced last night, and a second person living in the home is missing, the Gazette reports. Ten people in all are still unaccounted for. Nearly 350 homes have...

350 Homes Destroyed in Colorado Wildfire

Mayor of Colorado Springs offers initial estimate

(Newser) - Authorities in Colorado Springs have offered their first assessment of damage from the still-raging Waldo Canyon fire, and it's not a happy one: The mayor says about 350 homes have been destroyed, making it the most destructive fire in state history, reports AP . Other developments:
  • The fire is about
...

Thousands Must Fight Wildfires Uninsured

...because they're 'temporary workers'

(Newser) - As if fighting an "epic" and "apocalyptic" wildfire doesn't sound bad enough, try doing it without health insurance. That's actually what an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 federal firefighters do, writes Sarah Kliff for the Washington Post . "Of all the jobs where you might...

Tens of Thousands Flee Colorado Fires

Waldo Canyon fire breaches Colorado Springs fire lines

(Newser) - At least 32,000 people have been evacuated from the Colorado Springs area as the monster Waldo Springs wildfire continues to burn out of control. Witnesses described "apocalyptic" scenes as the fire, which has breached fire lines and destroyed an unknown number of homes, unleashed waves of flame and...

Colorado Wildfires Destroy 250 Homes, Ravage Parkland

Worst fire season in decade

(Newser) - More than 11,000 Colorado residents—and tourists—have been ordered to evacuate as eight wildfires burn across the state, destroying homes and threatening popular sightseeing spots. Vacation cabins in Estes Park have already been destroyed and the main entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park has been closed. Smoke threatens...

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