DEL NORTE, Colo. — A colossal wildfire near a popular summer retreat in southern Colorado continues to be driven by winds and fueled by dead trees in a drought-stricken area, authorities said Sunday.
The weather has prevented fire crews from making progress on the blaze, which grew overnight....
Fire officials believe portions of the blaze will burn all summer in forested, nonresidential areas, with full extinguishment months away.
The lightning-sparked blaze started June 5....
Related: Al Qaeda tells followers to start wildfires in U.S.
Wow, Al-CIA-Duh" can throw thunderbolts!
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"Wildfire closing in on Colo. town" Assocaited Press, June 22, 2013
SOUTH FORK, Colo. — A massive wildfire threatened a tourist town in Colorado’s southwestern mountains on Friday, as its roughly 400 residents emptied out ahead of the fast-burning blaze fueled by hot, windy weather....
South Fork is a popular spot for hiking and camping. The fictional Griswold family camped in South Fork in 1983’s ‘‘National Lampoon’s Vacation.’’
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"Wildfire slows, but 400 evacuated
DEL NORTE — A massive wildfire threatening a tourist region in southwestern Colorado has grown to nearly 60 square miles, but officials said Saturday that the erratic blaze had slowed and they were optimistic they could protect the town of South Fork. The fire’s rapid advance prompted more than 400 evacuations Friday, and it could be days before people are allowed back into their homes, cabins, and RV parks, fire crew spokeswoman Laura McConnell said. Mayor Kenneth Brooke of South Fork estimated that up to 1,500 of the town’s residents and summer visitors were evacuated (AP)."
"Colo. firefighters learning from past" Associated Press, June 15, 2013
COLORADO SPRINGS — Crews battling the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history say they were better prepared to take on the flames because of lessons learned fighting last year’s Waldo Canyon Fire, a similarly devastating blaze only a few miles away that devoured hundreds of homes and killed two people.
When the thickly wooded rural region north of Colorado Springs known as the Black Forest began to burn this week, authorities swiftly evacuated tens of thousands of people from a swath of land larger than the Denver metropolitan area.
They immediately began hand-counting destroyed houses to get information out to nervous homeowners. And they rushed federal troops and aircraft into action, cutting the red tape that had grounded those resources a year ago.
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Yeah, it's all a big success.
Related:
"The Black Forest Fire has destroyed at least 360 houses, and an estimated 40,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes. The blaze is now the most destructive in Colorado history."
Firefighters make gains battling Colorado blaze
Colorado crews douse hot spots to keep wildfires at bay
I'm sick of getting doused by the Globe.
Also see:
"A judge on Tuesday accepted James Holmes’s plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, setting the stage for a lengthy mental evaluation of the Colorado theater shooting suspect."
Related: Slow Saturday Special: Limited Hangout on Holmes
NEXT DAY UPDATES:
"The fire is feeding on beetle-killed trees and is fanned by hot, windy weather. Those conditions were expected to continue across much of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Crews are not expecting to make any real gains against the 117-square-mile burn until the summer monsoon season brings cooler temperatures and rains."
And then there is the "next frontier in civil rights."
Colorado crews douse hot spots to keep wildfires at bay
I'm sick of getting doused by the Globe.
Also see:
"A judge on Tuesday accepted James Holmes’s plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, setting the stage for a lengthy mental evaluation of the Colorado theater shooting suspect."
Related: Slow Saturday Special: Limited Hangout on Holmes
NEXT DAY UPDATES:
"The fire is feeding on beetle-killed trees and is fanned by hot, windy weather. Those conditions were expected to continue across much of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Crews are not expecting to make any real gains against the 117-square-mile burn until the summer monsoon season brings cooler temperatures and rains."
And then there is the "next frontier in civil rights."
