How's everybody in Colorado?

[paulh]

Hot enough for you? On fire? So, when I'm there the week before the Triple ByPass, riding around on your Mt. Evans and your Left Hand Canyon, are we going to be breathing smoke? Last year the rivers were raging and the afternoon downpours seemed to be keeping the risk low. Those damn pine beetles! Take care out there.

[CaliFly]

Hot enough for you? On fire? So, when I'm there the week before the Triple ByPass, riding around on your Mt. Evans and your Left Hand Canyon, are we going to be breathing smoke? Last year the rivers were raging and the afternoon downpours seemed to be keeping the risk low. Those damn pine beetles! Take care out there.

I was there last week (visiting from SoCal) in Breckenridge, Georgetown, Mt. Evans, Buena Vista, Leadville, Golden, Boulder and Denver...I didn't catch one whiff of smoke.

...but I did get pulled over by the highway patrol for tailgating a slow-moving minivan. He just warned about displaced animals darting out into the roads wreaking all kinds of havoc.

[Wilkinson4]

107 in denver today, 105 at DIA... Broke the all time record. Our snowpack was seriously low this year so it is a tinderbox up in the Mountains.

Very scary so be on your toes!

mIKE

[biker72]

Hot enough for you? On fire? So, when I'm there the week before the Triple ByPass, riding around on your Mt. Evans and your Left Hand Canyon, are we going to be breathing smoke? Last year the rivers were raging and the afternoon downpours seemed to be keeping the risk low. Those damn pine beetles! Take care out there.

Hopefully they will be able to get the fires under control....soon.
107 in Denver today at 4% humidity.

[cloudguy]

Flagstaff is on fire...video on the Boulder Camera website.

[gdw]

It's Boulder's turn today. We're half a mile from the pre-evacuation zone. Hopefully they'll get it under control before the winds pick up again.

[teleguy57]

Wow, Flagstaff.... I rode in Boulder this morning -- 95 degrees at 8 am. No smoke at that time. Since I'm a flatlander living at 867 feet in WI and it was my first day riding I stayed east of town vs going up into the canyons. I'm planning to be back there Thurs and was going to ride Lefthand Canyon with a buddy. We'll have to keep our plans flexible -- but that's nothing compared to people whose homes could be at risk! Puts things in perspective....

In Breckenridge now; had some rain this aft which was needed. Riding Vail Pass tomorrow.

Had a nice visit Monday with OldPotatoe at Vecchio's; great place and great guy!

[CaliFly]

Had a nice visit Monday with OldPotatoe at Vecchio's; great place and great guy!

Agreed. Did the same last week.

[azrider]

Godspeed to all who're in the path and to the brave firefighters.

cousin lives at the star

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/602299_3939553763771_2058178579_n.jpg

Bears escaping the fires everywhere (he says)

https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/529618_3938271531716_982726927_n.jpg

2miles from his house

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/282754_3940310062678_243617331_n.jpg

less than mile.....

https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/582118_3940234980801_1134857096_n.jpg

[paulh]

2miles from his house
[/IMG]

Holy Crap!

[azrider]

such an amazing picture

https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/486456_3940665071553_395570201_n.jpg

[dauwhe]

I'm signed up for the High Country 1200k starting in less than two weeks. It was supposed to go over Highway 14/Cameron Pass; the organizer has had to completely redo the route to avoid the fire.

Hope it's cooler then, and best of luck to the firefighters and residents...

Dave

[azrider]

this is super eerie

http://www.bobfireman.com/onlinescanner.htm

[monkeybanana86]

Bears escaping the fires everywhere (he says)

https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/529618_3938271531716_982726927_n.jpg




what a cute little fat guy. still, wouldn't want to get caught in his path!

[Wilkinson4]

I have two cousins in the middle of the ****. One, he was a photographer for the Gazette till they did him and a bunch of other staffers wrong. The other, he is a firefighter fighting the good fight. I couldn't be more proud to call them both my family.

Here is a shot from my cuz Bryan:

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/pb-120624-fire-cannon_2.photoblog900.jpg

mIKE

[Wilkinson4]

Holy crap, this has just blown up in CS. 13,000 peeps evacuated, Flying W Ranch burned to the ground. +5,000 acres and right up against the USAFA. Pray for Colorado, my cousins and everybody here. This is very close to an epic disaster.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/552749_10151043408595189_1340028209_n.jpg

Firestorm... My cuz Mark was home today so he wasn't on the front line when this blew thru both containment lines. S. Bound I-25 is closed at Ineoquest.


Video from earlier.
http://kdvr.com/2012/06/26/more-colorado-springs-area-residents-flee-waldo-canyon-fire/

Folks, this a very very bad. Apocolyptic even... Winds whipped up over 60mph and the fire just blew up. I was born right there so this sucks ass big time.

Now, 32,000 homes evacuated!!! Cell tower down in CS so people need to stay off their cell phones.

mIKE

[Wilkinson4]

Live streaming video from Briargate. Crazy, insane, Mother Nature is a Mother fffer... Unfortunately, this one may be arson.


http://www.briargatemedia.com/blank%20page

mIKE

[monkeybanana86]

wow. I didn't realize how bad this is since it wasn't on the front page of the Times or the local paper's website. this is crazy

[Hawker]

There is a lot of track activity at the Velodrome this week as the Olympics and Master's Nationals approach and a friend of mine told me that quite a number of racers have elected not to ride because of the smoke.

[Wilkinson4]

Daunting and smokey

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/556005_10151059603602743_1748274474_n.jpg

ps. Heading out for a ride... Gonna crest over the hill and have a good view of Pikes Peak, maybe.

mIKE

[jr59]

Man-o-man, I hope Old Spud doesn't get baked! :p

But really, Please guys be careful out there and don't do anything foolish, like staying when asked to leave.

You can always replace things, it becomes harder to replace you.

Please everyone be safe!

[oldpotatoe]

Man-o-man, I hope Old Spud doesn't get baked! :p

But really, Please guys be careful out there and don't do anything foolish, like staying when asked to leave.

You can always replace things, it becomes harder to replace you.

Please everyone be safe!

Smallish fire up by NCAR yesterday, rained some so I think that one is 'better' today. The one in the Springs is really big and bad. Dry, dry and windy..with more and more people living in the slopes of the mountains equals big fire danger.

'praying' ain't gonna help this one, methinks...very contradictory, IMHO.

Less wind is the best solution plus some USAF water bombers..

[Wilkinson4]

Another from my Photo Warrior cuz, shooting for the AP.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/269285_10151059470127743_706993047_n.jpg

For those who have never been to Colorado Springs, the city is at the base of Pikes Peak and right up against the foothills. I-25, the North/South corridoor or Valley Highway for the old timers is just 2 miles parallel to the foothills.

That means there are tons of homes right there, and when the fire flew over the two containment lines it went from forest fire to urban fire.

Boulder is the same, right up against the mountains. This is scary ****.

mIKE

[azrider]

just incredible....


https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/582145_3941300327434_1895615922_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206057_3941285807071_577285077_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/484439_3941412810246_1454768716_n.jpg

https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/166000_3941454651292_1271214202_n.jpg

[bikser]

I hope this is OK to post.

I just read on Velonews that one of our forum members lost his home (OMC53), I sure hope that was a mistake. Mike is a really good to deal with, and a real nice guy.

If thats the case if there is anything I can do to help from Denver please let me know.

[GRAVELBIKE]

The Springs fire is absolutely mind blowing. Scary as hell.

It's not as bad here in Boulder, but it was really weird to see how quickly the smoke filled the sky yesterday.

I posted some pics here (http://www.gravelbike.com/?p=1083).

[azrider]

http://www.helpcoloradonow.org

[paulh]

just incredible....

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206057_3941285807071_577285077_n.jpg


Maybe it's the perspective of the photo, but those folks on the deck..... shouldn't they be.... you know...... LEAVING!

[nightfend]

On the plus side, I-25 should make the ultimate fire break, and stop the fire there.

[temeyone]

Jesus, those photos are horrifying.

[Wilkinson4]

Not so sure about the I-25 being a firebreak. This flew over two ridges... When the wind whips up, it can take an ember a half mile away up and over lines. It is every firefighters worst nightmare. Cutting a line, and then having it blow over you and trapping you.

mIKE

[Wilkinson4]

Latest blog update:

June 27 7:35pm: A firefighter told Colorado Springs Gazette reporter Ryan Maye Handy today that during a briefing, crews learned that 200 to 300 homes have been lost. He said it was difficult to be accurate about the number, since the devastation is so complete that you can’t even make out addresses.

mIKE

[Louis]

Over here folks have been complaining about the heat and the lack of rain.

One thing worse than that is heat, lack of rain, and everything around you going up in flames.

Horrible.

[rounder]

I have been in Talahassee for two weeks and went to St. George Island on on the gulf on Saturday. On Sunday, Debby came through and the island was evacuated. The island was underwater and folks came here. Homes were damaged.

But, it was nothing like Colorado. Wish for best.

[Liv2RideHard]

Man we have been getting dumped on here in Central Florida with the tropical storm/depression. Wish we could send some rain that way. This is terrible. Fire supression with bark beetles and dry hot winds = epic fire storms. Praying for everyone. Just terrible. Not sure I can do anything but if I can just holler at me. Be careful all of you guys over there. God Bless those firefighters.

[firerescuefin]

Not so sure about the I-25 being a firebreak. This flew over two ridges... When the wind whips up, it can take an ember a half mile away up and over lines. It is every firefighters worst nightmare. Cutting a line, and then having it blow over you and trapping you.

mIKE

The reason that these homes were lost is they are what's called part of the urban interface. You want to live in the foothills on some land, this is the risk you take. Pretty rare for a fire to run dowhill due to the slope aspect, but the winds and conditions could not have been worse for the folks living on the western slop of the the Co Springs foothills. The fire is not going to jump I-25 and make a huge run east...you may see a few spot fires, but that's all. The fuel (uniterrupted) is just not there for the most part. On the western slope you had lots of super dry growth, lots of scrub oak, and build up of dead brush (5-10 years worth) Add that essentially the weather and wind has acted like a convection oven drying and preheating the fuel and you get what you saw last night. I sat in on a briefing with Colorado Division of Forestry 2 years ago, where they predicted a potential super fire that could go essentially from Boulder to the Springs....We're only in June. This will be a long summer.

[Louis]

The reason that these homes were lost is they are what's called part of the urban interface. You want to live in the foothills on some land, this is the risk you take.

Does home insurance cover fires like this?

If so, I wonder if the cost of the insurance takes these risks into account? You would think that they would.

[firerescuefin]

Does home insurance cover fires like this?

If so, I wonder if the cost of the insurance takes these risks into account? You would think that they would.

If you start a homeowner's policy in a location like this, the insurance will usually send out an agent or rep that will inspect and determine whether you need cut back and manage growth around the property creating "defensible space"...some municipalities will go out in the spring, evaluate and make recommendations to homeowners. You can imagine, that this is pretty hard to enforce on any level. As a homeowner, staying on top of this can make a huge difference...and sometimes there's nothing you can do. You would not believe the radiant and convective heat coming off of these fires....nor can you imagine the speed which they can run. I've seen crowning fuel fires travel at 50 plus MPH. Short answer Louis, if they have homeowners, they're most likely covered.

[Wilkinson4]

The fire is not going to jump I-25 and make a huge run east...you may see a few spot fires, but that's all. The fuel (uniterrupted) is just not there for the most part. On the western slope you had lots of super dry growth, lots of scrub oak, and build up of dead brush (5-10 years worth) Add that essentially the weather and wind has acted like a convection oven drying and preheating the fuel and you get what you saw last night. I sat in on a briefing with Colorado Division of Forestry 2 years ago, where they predicted a potential super fire that could go essentially from Boulder to the Springs....We're only in June. This will be a long summer.

That makes total sense, thanks... Gonna be a hot one tomorrow but we have some humidity tonight. Pre-evac is now 20 miles S. of me:( With how dry we have been, how much build up is out there you can almost imagine a super fire like that.

mIKE

[oldpotatoe]

Another from my Photo Warrior cuz, shooting for the AP.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/269285_10151059470127743_706993047_n.jpg

For those who have never been to Colorado Springs, the city is at the base of Pikes Peak and right up against the foothills. I-25, the North/South corridoor or Valley Highway for the old timers is just 2 miles parallel to the foothills.

That means there are tons of homes right there, and when the fire flew over the two containment lines it went from forest fire to urban fire.

Boulder is the same, right up against the mountains. This is scary ****.

mIKE

Not exactly. Boulder is surrounded by OpenSpace, so there is somewhat of a buffer between Boulder proper and the foothills. There aren't a bunch of homes right against the foothills like Colorado Springs.

[jr59]

Whatever!!!!

I could care less how big of buffer there is. I have seen big fires jump very quickly.

SO TO YOU, AND ALL OTHERS OUT THERE.

PLEASE BE SAFE!

[bozman]

Godspeed to all the firefighters in Boulder, Ft. Collins and Colorado Springs.

On a cycling note related to the fires the route for the Colorado MS150 which begins Saturday has been altered as a result of the High Park Fire outside Ft. Collins. We were to have ridden a section next to Horsetooth Reservoir but we are being diverted east. They will also be running more shuttles from the rest stops for anyone adversely effected by the smoke/poor air quality.

I was visiting a new client in Boulder yesterday and had several tankers and helicopters go right overhead on their way to and from the fire outside of Boulder. Very eerie.

[alpsantos]

Very sad to see all the burning homes in Colorado. My thoughts and prayers for those affected by the fire and a heartfelt thank you to the brave men and women firefighters.

Incredible photos posted by the Denver Post.

http://tinyurl.com/78njgd8

[Wilkinson4]

Not exactly. Boulder is surrounded by OpenSpace, so there is somewhat of a buffer between Boulder proper and the foothills. There aren't a bunch of homes right against the foothills like Colorado Springs.

I would say, you say Oldpo-tay-toe, I say Oldpo-tah-toe Peter, buy you are correct sir:) Boulder has the buffer and in C.S. homes go right up.

Regardless, what a mess. Up 19,000 acres in C.S. now... 5% contain....

Anywhere between 300-400 homes and probably the work of a fire bug.

mIKE

[bozman]

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/slideshow/news/31230130/detail.html

[Louis]

and probably the work of a fire bug.

This is the part I don't understand. You'd really have to be a sociopath to start something like that.

[thinpin]

This is the part I don't understand. You'd really have to be a sociopath to start something like that.

They're out there, we know that here only too well. Nasty $..t all of this. Luckily no deaths so far. Stay safe.

[binxnyrwarrsoul]

Technology, eff you money, power etc, do not matter. Mother nature is the boss. Period. Those pictures are frightening.

[GRAVELBIKE]

Technology, eff you money, power etc, do not matter. Mother nature is the boss. Period. Those pictures are frightening.

Nature bats last. Always.

[Jaq]

If you start a homeowner's policy in a location like this, the insurance will usually send out an agent or rep that will inspect and determine whether you need cut back and manage growth around the property creating "defensible space"...some municipalities will go out in the spring, evaluate and make recommendations to homeowners. You can imagine, that this is pretty hard to enforce on any level. As a homeowner, staying on top of this can make a huge difference...and sometimes there's nothing you can do. You would not believe the radiant and convective heat coming off of these fires....nor can you imagine the speed which they can run. I've seen crowning fuel fires travel at 50 plus MPH. Short answer Louis, if they have homeowners, they're most likely covered.

I have a brother-in-law up in who spends untold hours clearing brush - mostly manzanita - from his hilly property. They have a beautiful home, but it's backbreaking labor to keep it clear.

[Louis]

It's super dry in the St Louis area also (but not as bad as CO).

I hope folks are careful with burning trash and fireworks over the holiday.

No rain in 10 day forecast. Both people and plants are being hammered.

[gdw]

For those of you living on the Front Range, how's the air quality in your area? My throat has been bothering me since the fires started in Ft Collins and late last night the smoke was noticeable, again, in our neighborhood in Boulder. The street lights had a strange orange halo and the dogs refused to go outside for a walk.

[GRAVELBIKE]

For those of you living on the Front Range, how's the air quality in your area? My throat has been bothering me since the fires started in Ft Collins and late last night the smoke was noticeable, again, in our neighborhood in Boulder. The street lights had a strange orange halo and the dogs refused to go outside for a walk.

It hasn't been bothering me, really. Live in Superior, and commute to Boulder.

[Wilkinson4]

Check this out... I ride parts of Rampart Range road to the North of all this but this is pretty scary.

http://kdvr.com/2012/06/28/video-witnessing-the-start-of-the-waldo-canyon-fire/

mIKE