Raging Colorado wildfire grows near US Air Force Academy

Reuters ^ | June 25,2012 | Keith Coffman

[Hojczyk]

An out-of-control wildfire near some of Colorado's most visited tourist sites expanded overnight and kept some 6,000 people from their homes on Monday, as forecasts said winds could push the flames toward the U.S. Air Force Academy.

The fire sent a mushroom cloud of smoke over Colorado Springs in the shadow of Pikes Peak, whose vistas helped inspire the patriotic tune "America the Beautiful." Closer to the blaze, trees were visibly torquing and twisting from the heat.

The Waldo Canyon blaze came as firefighting resources were stretched by the monster High Park blaze northwest of Fort Collins, a university city north of Denver along the state's tinder-dry Front Range.

A dozen fires in total are burning across Colorado, with high temperatures projected to top 100 Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) again on Monday expected to cause "extreme" fire behavior, officials said.

"We're going to be continuing to have to deal with these fires for weeks to come," U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said. "We anticipate it's going to be a long fire season."

The High Park Fire - the second-largest blaze on record in the state and its most destructive - has consumed 83,205 acres in steep canyons since it was sparked by lightning two weeks ago. It is blamed for the death of a 62-year-old grandmother in her mountain cabin and has destroyed 248 homes.

An estimated 4,300 people remain evacuated from their homes as that fire burns through grass, brush and Ponderosa pine.

The Waldo Canyon fire about 80 miles south of Denver had initially prompted the evacuation of 11,000 people on Sunday until residents of the town of Manitou Springs were allowed home, but were told to be ready to leave again on short notice.

O

[Ezekiel]

The fire sent a mushroom cloud of smoke over Colorado Springs in the shadow of Pikes Peak, whose vistas helped inspire the patriotic tune "America the Beautiful." (pdf)

[SaraJohnson]

Interesting coinkydink there with nature’s fire goin’ after the Air Force this week while Republicans are going after the Air Force for unconstitutionally oppressing Christians.

The political correctness of the US military puts it in direct opposition to the One soldiers used to pray to for protection in America. Obama has made great change there.

[bray]

We have fires that burned over 500 sq miles and they won’t let us replant. Environmentalists are killing the forests with the help of our Forest Service and BLM. Give them to the states.

Pray for America

[tdscpa]

If I had family there, I would call or email and ask how they are doing.