My City is on FIRE!!!

[Stardreamer]

A shift in the weather this afternoon brought a forest fire down out of the mountains and is currently burning into west side of Colorado Springs. The historic Flying W Ranch has been totally destroyed, hundreds are fleeing the fire.

 

[chrisrobin]

A shift in the weather this afternoon brought a forest fire down out of the mountains and is currently burning into west side of Colorado Springs. The historic Flying W Ranch has been totally destroyed, hundreds are fleeing the fire.

How bad is that? Every time I've visited Colorado, it looks magnificent. I always associate Colorado Springs with the Air Force Academy. I hope the fires can be contained. Tragic. Certainly hope you're okay.

 

[Stardreamer]

We good except for the smoke and ash raining on the whole town. The family housing on the south side of the Academy is being evacuated to Ft. Carson. Flying W and all along Centenial road seems to be in flames.

 

[G-Lexington]

Boulder caught fire earlier today, too. Hope everybody pulls through.

Lex

 

[Stardreamer]

That is my Second Life persona (a literal avatar) Kit the Coyote.

No much danger of the fire moving our way but the a few of the bigger west side neighborhoods and the south side of the AF Academy have been evacuated, estimates at over 32,000 people. The historic Flying W Ranch and numerous homes was burned to the ground. The fire is not contained, Red Cross is rushing to open more shelters.

 

[Stardreamer]

I don't get it. Is it a computer/videogame character? Something you made yourself? What's the persona, exactly? Just curious.

Second Life is like a video game but more like an interactive cyber environment. A poor man's holodeck LOL. You create your character, the residents create the different worlds you can interact it.

My description of Kit: Kit, half human son of the Trickster Coyote. A shapeshifter, his mood and appearance change as readily as his clothes. Often speaks in a accent that sounds oddly Irish or Scottish.
Bi-sexual & sexually active in all his forms.
Dominate Alpha Male and Master in training

Here a few other pictures of Kit.

 

[Yooper]

Update: They evacuated MORE of Colorado Springs around 10PM, basically everything west of I-25 and North of Garden of the Gods Road, and more to the south. This mandatory evacuation includes the US Air Force Academy.

A map if anyone knows Colorado Springs:
http://www.springsgov.com/units/communications/Waldo_Fire_6_26_12_MANDATORY_rev2_11x17.pdf

(I can't seem to copy the map easily. Happens when your a creepy old fart.)

 

[RaKroma]

The situation is there is on the critical side with the information I've read so far. Maybe they're containing good amounts of fires by now? I know majority of aerial firefighting planes in the U.S. are being used there right now. The military is also using up all of it's 8 C130 planes designed for firefighting too. I wonder if situation will get to the point where we will need to call other countries to send their planes. And the fire is considered a level 6 the most gravest on the U.S. Forestry scale.

 

[Yooper]

The situation is there is on the critical side with the information I've read so far. Maybe they're containing good amounts of fires by now? I know majority of aerial firefighting planes in the U.S. are being used there right now. The military is also using up all of it's 8 C130 planes designed for firefighting too. I wonder if situation will get to the point where we will need to call other countries to send their planes. And the fire is considered a level 6 the most gravest on the U.S. Forestry scale.

There's NO containment in Colorado Springs. Or Boulder . Only 65% in High Park (Ft. Collins, now over 86,000 acres). It is really, really bad in the Springs tonight; the command center had to be moved on 20 minutes notice.

 

[RaKroma]

Is there a risk of the air force academy burning down or is the evacuation just a precaution?

 

[Yooper]

There's a HUGE risk of the AFA burning down which is why they're evacuating.

At one point earlier today the fire line moved at 60 miles per hour.

It is my understanding that Fire Departments from as far away as Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska are sending equipment and crews to Colorado. Of course, there's the US Military and Forest Service crews too, but in Boulder I personally saw equipment arrive from Loveland (a good hour away at highway speeds). I know Aurora and Denver have sent equipment and crews to Colorado Springs.

It's a 'all hands on deck' thing.

 

[72-Jay]

I wonder if situation will get to the point where we will need to call other countries to send their planes.

According to one news report i heard there are already a few planes from Canada

With the Air Force Academy, the larger buildings are concrete/steel/etc (so more protected than wood homes...but not completely fireproof), but as Yooper said there is risk/plenty that can burn there.

I25 (the major north-south highway through Colorado) is also shut down in Colorado Springs (due to smoke)

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The biggest problem is wind which not only fans the flames, but can carry hot ash 5-10 miles out from the fire itself

 

[hungkee]

I was in Colorado last June when they closed I-25 for three days! I always tell people to take a plane and not to drive during fire season in the West.

With a car, you might get in...but then can't get out!

 

[Yooper]

Found a picture what the fire looks like from the Air Force Academy this afternoon:

 

[Stardreamer]

The winds shifted from the north when I was going to bed last night and that helped slow the fire's progress. The fire has not broken into the neighborhoods directly below the Academy yet but that might change when the winds pick up again today. Flying W Ranch and all those neighborhoods around it west of centennial road between Garden of the Gods and Woodman have been engulfed.

 

[Stardreamer]

Ah, I get it now. Thanks for explaining. He's got a nice body, by the way.

Laughs, come on SL and he'll be more than happy to show it you.

 

[BigDestiny]

Terrible news. I remember last year when fires destroyed much of the town of Slave Lake not far from here. Hope you and yours will be okay.

And yeah, your SL persona is delish.

 

[Yooper]

For those who haven't seen this photo and were wondering about the AFA

(That's Falcon Stadium in the foreground. Looks kinda tiny, eh?)

For the record, after a terrible night, things were better today, but the Colorado Springs fire is still at only 5% containment. Media estimates for homes lost last night are '200-300'; the official word won't be out for several days.

The fire above Boulder is only 35% contained but things are looking better; pre-evacuation has been lifted (for now) but some 50 fire departments are now deployed in Boulder.

 

[Ninja108]

Stay safe out there!

 

[Stardreamer]

Thank the spirits and the maker, the weather today was much cooler and even had a tiny bit of rain. The fire fighters have been able to make some progress.