Just for a bit of history: a forest fire started in a popular hiking canyon just west of Colorado Springs sometime on Saturday afternoon. No one yet knows the cause. Over the last 4 days firefighters, forest service and military groups have been trying to contain--at least slow the progress--of this blaze.
At 4pm this afternoon, famous unpredictable Colorado weather played a major part of pushing this fire down into town. The smoke has been as thick as fog.
This taken on my phone from the corner just behind the administrative building of the hospital around 4, when the winds kicked up.
This is from Clay's phone, at the shop, as the wind began carrying the smoke northeast. (Perspective: our shop is on the far east end of the city.)
This one was posted on Facebook and shows the extent of the fire. For anyone familiar with the area, you can see the "scar" of the old strip-mine area near the center of the photo.
As of right now, 32,000 people have been evacuated. The entire northwest side of Colorado Springs has been ordered to leave.
Flying W Ranch has burned. That is sad and even the newscasters started crying when the news came in. Many of us have been there multiple times and taken family there for a taste of the "old west".
Someone asked me if the people living here think about the risk when building. Just like people who live in tornado alley, people know that it is an inherent risk of living here. We know it can happen, but when it does happen, it doesn't make it any less devastating to the people that it happens to.
Miraculously, there have been no injuries reported, of residents or firefighters. I pray that continues. I thank the residents who have been incredible at cooperating with the evacuation orders, and the many, many people who are working late into the night to provide temporary shelter and comfort for those who are displaced.
They say history doesn't feel like it when you are living it, but I disagree. This will be talked about for generations.
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