posted
I have been praying for them. One of my high school graduates from Houston lives within a mile of the fires. That was last night. I don't know the status of their home now.
Are you close to the fires, faithful?
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
No, thank God, I am an 90 minutes from them but it is making traffic a blooming mess to say the least. Roads are closed and my husband took forever to come home last night because people are stopping on the road to look at the smoke.
There is a fifth fire going now. No explanation on what started them yet, but thunderstorms at the lower elevations don't give much rain but they get the thunder, lightning and wind. Some have speculated that lightning may have caused a couple of the fires but no definite confirmation.
We live in a wooded area and they are the danger areas when it is very dry. Right now Colorado is having much higher than normal temperatures which is not helping.
The military are opening up shelters for anyone with a military ID but won't allow pets in. Boy does that make me mad!!
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
huh, no pets no shelter...gotta take family...
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
I agree. I would not leave any pets behind. That rule is so ridiculous. Most people have a cat or a dog. How dumb do they think people are??
Pets are our family.
We have an F350 with a horse trailer with room to put the chickens behind our horses. The dogs would be in the car with us. I wouldn't leave my babies behind!!!!
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
The fire in my county is NOT contained and is now 13 miles away. My husband is on his way home and we are starting to pack up all our meds to be ready to evacuate.
I guess we are going to head down to the property we bought and sleep in the car with the dogs. No idea how we are going to find water for the horses but we will have to fill buckets with lids to hold us over until we figure it out. God I am scared.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
Woo hoo!! The teller county fire is out!! We are good for now.
The next two days are still red flag warnings for fire conditions but for now we are good. Thank God!!
Still no containment in the biggest fire in Black Forest. There are 8500 acres burned and they expect to lose 3000 more acres at least before they stop it. There are at least 92 homes destroyed. They are still counting and when the areas stabilize enough for the firefighters to go in safely they expect that number to go up.
They are getting ready to pre-evacuate Colorado Springs all the way to highway 25 and also west of that highway. I am expecting them to close the road so my husband will have to work at home tomorrow.
Smoke is blowing as far as Denver. My windows are closed because of the smoke and we are all running around with very little on (hehe) because it is so hot.
It seems that lightning strikes are responsible for the fires. I didn't know that a tree can smoulder for a couple of days before it actually becomes on fire. The winds are gusty and changing direction all the time so they don't know how far the fire will go.
The community here is really coming together to help each other. Very nice to see.
Still praying for all those who are evacuating.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
Is this a dumb idea or not - to send helicopters overhead and dump water on everything to make areas less dry?
Posts: 13116 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
| IP: Logged |
dbpei
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 33574
posted
I hope you stay safe, Faithful. It must be so frightening. I wish we could share some of the rain we have been getting here.
Posts: 2386 | From New England | Registered: Aug 2011
| IP: Logged |
posted
Latest update, 15,000 acres burning at the Black Forest Fire with 320 homes destroyed. Eastern Colorado Springs is under mandatory evacuation.
No containment of this fire yet.
Royal Gorge fire is partially contained with 20 buildings destroyed.
The LeVeta fire is smaller but still burning.
Thunderstorms expected later today, but they won't be rain makers. They are expected to make the fire worse with gusty winds and lightning. Also temperatures are unseasonably warm for this area so it is much drier than usual which is not helping.
So far, we are okay but have a plan to bug out if needed.
The American Red Cross is helping as much as they can.
There is a press conference coming up soon and I will update from there.
I found out my friend is OK. The fire is east of them and the wind is blowing east.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
Marz
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3446
posted
I watched a video on chemtrails someone posted here a while back and one person in the video has the theory that forest fires are more intense now due to the aluminium being dropped from the sky.
Sounds believable to me.
Hope everyone stays safe.
Posts: 1297 | From USA | Registered: Dec 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I believe it. They seed the clouds trying to make it rain where it is dry and it ruins crops.
The Teller County Fire is contained for now. Some speculate that this was started by a person, but we really don't know at this time.
Getting tired of watching the news all the time but that is the only way to know if your county is in danger.
Two people dead in the Black Forest fire. The winds are not cooperating but the firefighters are working their butts off.
Tomorrow the winds will be worse, and we are praying that the winds work in the favor of the firefighters. We are expecting more evacuations in the Colorado Springs area.
Black Forest is the worst fire in Colorado history.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
Black Forest is still only 5 percent contained. They don't think they lost any more homes last night.
Teller county fire is contained but not out. That makes us nervous as it is just 8 miles from where we live.
Royal Gorge fire is 40 percent contained. This is in Canon city where there are a bunch of prisons so they have had to evacuate prisoners to other areas.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
30% containment now on the Black Forest fire. Some mandatory evacuation areas now voluntary but police warned winds could change that status.
We got just a little rain everywhere today which helped keep the fire from spreading further. Today was also just a bit cooler which also helped the fire fighters.
Not out of the woods by any means, but the first responders felt they made some progress today.
370 homes destroyed so far.
Colorado Springs is looking good now. Praying that the winds continue to cooperate with keeping the city out of the fire.
Praying for 100% containment!!!!
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
Facebook has helped a lot of people find each other during the evacuation and also locate lost pets. There is a special page for the Black Forest fire.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
Colorado Springs is definitely in the clear with the fires.
Black Forest is 45% contained and where the fire is still burning there are mostly woods and not structures.
So many displaced people who still don't know if they have a home to go back to or not.
The police have been wonderful but there are no mailboxes or house numbers on anything so it is hampering them being definitive on which houses are gone or still standing.
There are companies offering free landscaping services to help restore the area. Also many are holding food drives for all those that are in shelters.
I have never seen a community come together like this. We are blessed to be in the clear for now.
Wildfires pop up all the time in wooded areas when it is dry but we will soon be moving to an area that is very open and much safer.
The main Hwy that runs from the Springs to Denver is I-25 and it is very congested late in the day every day now with all the rescue people and evacuees using the road to get services.
The weather is cooling off this week and there is actually rain forecasted. I am sure the firefighters will have total control in the next few days but clean up is going to take a long time.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
surprise
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 34987
posted
Thank you for the updates---I have family in CO.
-------------------- Lyme positive PCR blood, and positive Bartonella henselae Igenex, 2011. low positive Fry biofilm test, 2012. Update 7/16- After extensive treatments, doing okay! Posts: 2518 | From USA | Registered: Nov 2011
| IP: Logged |
posted
We had a good bit of rain in Florissant and Woodland Park today but in Colorado the weather is very sporadic. I don't know if the fire areas got any of that rain.
Royal Gorge in Canon city is basically doing clean up as it is contained.
They are still evacuating in the Black Forest fire area. Will update as I learn more.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
Red Flag warnings for most of Colorado. Storms have brought some rain but lightning has started some small fires that were put out fairly quickly.
Black Forest is lifting some of the evacuation areas from manadatory to voluntary but a wind shift can change it back to mandatory. Now 85% contained.
I think the lost homes count is around 530.
So the red flag warnings mean that the fire situation is high for a fire starting anywhere in the flagged area which includes Colorado Springs.
If you go to weatherbug.com and look for national alerts, you can see what areas are highlighted, and the red flag warning goes into New Mexico.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
No one knows what started most of the fires except the one at the Air Force Academy that was small. That one was definitely from lightning.
At least one near me was from lightning. The other one was suspicious and someone who heard some chatter on the police scanner said a person started that one.
There will be a thorough investigation of the two big ones especially Black Forest where two people died trying to get out. If a person started that one, the charge will include murder plus arson.
Lots of lightning tonight. There is rain this time but lots of storms in the forecast and the lightning is what people are worried about.
Pine trees go up fast when they are hit. Unfortunately, I am in a very forested area right now on the edge of a mountain.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
It is going to be hard for people to report fires as there is smoke blowing throughout big areas.
The state doesn't want a 911 call unless you actually see flames because smoke can come from miles away.
Makes it hard to know if you are in immediate danger or not until the fire is big.
I found a website where people listen to police scanners and hope that will help. I am buying one of those things as soon as I can.
Meanwhile, I had to sleep with the windows closed last night. The smoke gave me an immediate headache and made me feel sick and we are not sure which fire burning is the culprit.
There is also a fire up in Jefferson County west of Denver.
Fires start easily in a drought especially in the mountains, so living in wooded areas in CO is a choice you have to decide if it is worth it or not.
We love being in the mountains but are going to move in a more open that has much less trees. We won't be able to move for two months yet. The electric company takes a long time to bring the power in.
Teller country where we live is smokey from fires all around us.
Fire warnings in Arizona and New Mexico too.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
Mandatory evacuations south of Walsenburg. Fire is now 10,000 acres. Weather is not cooperating at all so they think it will be several days to contain this one.
This fire is a little over 2 hours from us but their is smoke haze where we are. Windows are now shut again.
Red Flag warnings West of I-25 through tomorrow. I expect they will be extended. It is not usually this warm here and we are very dry.
If the winds continue, this fire could surpass the Black Forest fire which was the biggest in Colorado history. They have almost ruled out natural causes for the Black Forest Fire but are not releasing what they know yet.
The fire in Jefferson County is still around 500 acres so they are not speaking much about it yet but the fire is 4 miles from Buffalo creek. There is a huge pre-evacuation area set now. No containment as of yet.
New fire in Cotopaxi now. No details on the size of that one yet.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
surprise
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 34987
posted
Wow, this is just AWFUL, evil if it is an arsonist.
-------------------- Lyme positive PCR blood, and positive Bartonella henselae Igenex, 2011. low positive Fry biofilm test, 2012. Update 7/16- After extensive treatments, doing okay! Posts: 2518 | From USA | Registered: Nov 2011
| IP: Logged |
posted
There are 9 wildfires burning in Colorado now. Black Forest is contained but still burning. Lightning has been ruled out as the cause but they still don't say what they think started that fire.
East Peak by Walsenburg is the worst one burning right now. They believe lightning from recent storms started this one. Smoke is causing a haze everywhere in most areas and even with the windows closed, I can smell the smoke in the house.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[group hug]](graemlins/grouphug.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic