RAIN AND REMINDERS

It rained here Sunday night.  A LOT!  Deluge would not be an exaggeration.  It pounded on the roof and brought the children down from their rooms.

My Facebook page went crazy with friends all over town posting about the rain.  Everyone was "liking" everyone's rain related statuses (or is it stati?).  No matter.  We were beyond excited!  I even heard that in some parts of town, people were cheering in the streets.  An entire community overjoyed about water falling from the sky. 

Unfortunately, very little of it fell on the fire.  A sprinkle here or there.  It was so close.  Painfully close.  Some might say it was a cruel joke of Mother Nature.  Or wonder why, after 2 weeks worth of prayers offered by so many people, God couldn't have just pushed that rain a little further west.  I don't know the answer to that. 

I do know that God doesn't always answer prayers when we would like Him to, or in the way we would like Him to.  But He always does something to remind us that He's still there--that He hasn't abandoned us.  And that's what last night's rainstorm was.  Not exactly what we were looking for.  But a reminder that He hasn't forgotten about us.

The fire is still burning, but there wasn't a lot of smoke tonight. Just a beautiful sunset. Maybe it was another reminder.

I think 20 years from now, when we talk about this fire, the best stories--the ones we'll remember the most--will be the stories about how it rained like crazy one night and the whole town was cheering and crying and celebrating together.  For every story of loss and heartache, there will be a story about someone who lent a helping hand. There will be stories about the thank you signs, and people lining the streets every night to cheer for the firefighters returning to town at the end their shifts.  That doesn't happen everywhere you know. 

The incident commander called the community support "outstanding."  I have a friend whose husband is here fighting the fire.  In a recent email she told me he got to experience the people lining the streets and that "it was something to be seen. He was impressed & grateful. He's been on a lot of big fires & only a couple times he has seen the community like that. It's really special."

Thirteen years ago, my husband and I were making plans to move from Canada to Fort Collins so he could attend graduate school.  I worked at a store that catered to tourists.  One day a woman from Fort Collins came in.  When she found out I would be moving soon, she gave me her name and phone number and told me to call her when I got here--she'd show me around town.  I'm inclined to call her a complete stranger, but obviously she didn't see it that way.  I never took her up on her offer.  Even after living in Canada for five years, I guess I was taken aback by someone so friendly.  It was my loss, I'm sure.

I'm tired of this fire.  I'm sure everyone else is too.  But today I'm reminded of how much I love this place and the people who live here.  And I'm pretty sure, when this fire is finally out, that we're going to be even nicer, more special, and more outstanding than we were before.

HEAVY SIGH

Photos of the High Park Fire, taken Friday evening, June 22, 2012. 

Day 14 of this horrible fire.  It jumped the Poudre River again and began burning homes.  Conditions were too dangerous for firefighters to enter the area.  Aircraft were grounded because of winds.  The fire crews stood by and watched it burn with the rest of us.  Temperatures were near 100 degrees, with low humidity.  More people were evacuated. 

The fire is now over 81,000 acres and has burned more than 100 square miles.  Containment dropped from 60% back to 45%.  Today's weather is much like yesterday's, with record breaking temperatures expected.  No word yet on how many more homes were lost.

This is not how a 2 week-old fire is supposed to look. 

FIRE UPDATE: WINDY WEATHER, MOOSE ON THE LOOSE, AND A FIRE FIGHTING IMPOSTER

I took this photo Saturday afternoon at the top of a place called Bingham Hill.  It is, in my opinion, the most beautiful view in Northern Colorado, and perhaps far beyond.  The community at the bottom of the hill had been evacuated in the early days of the fire.  We could see charred trees on the furthest hilltops, but for the most part, the view was just as we remembered it. 

It was a beautiful, clear day. Nearly smoke free. If not for the helicopters buzzing overhead and the National Guard blocking a nearby road, we almost would have forgotten there was a fire.

But on Sunday, Mother Nature decided to remind us who was in charge.  Yesterday temperatures soared in to the 90's, relative humidity was around 5 percent.  The winds blew at upwards of 50 miles per hour. 

The pictures I took Sunday evening look remarkably, and sadly, like the photos I took last weekend, when the fire was raging with "no hope for containment."   Except this Sunday the smoke was worse.  There was ash falling from the sky--in some parts of town, it was chunks of charred debris.  We could smell the smoke sitting in church Sunday afternoon.  People sat through the services with their eyes watering.

It was a bad day.  Several hundred more homes were evacuated.  Some of the evacuees had been allowed to return home less than 48 hours before.  And they had to pack up and leave again.  Eight more homes were lost, bringing the total to 189.  But we'd already reached the grim milestone earlier in the week of becoming the most destructive fire in Colorado history.  We really didn't need to add to the total.

Today we reached a record high temperature of 100 degrees with relative humidity still near 5%.  We haven't had any measurable rain since the fire started.  There isn't any in the forecast.  Even if there wasn't a fire, we need rain.  Our snow pack is almost gone.

Wildlife sightings are becoming a regular occurrence around the city.  Yesterday a moose swam across the reservoir and was wandering the streets.  It had to be tranquilized and moved to a safer location.  Two other moose are believed to be living in natural areas in town.  They are being left alone for now.  It's not uncommon to see deer in town--but now people are seeing deer who are burned and injured and need help.  The firefighters have reported seeing scared, hungry black bears.

 

 

Photo courtesy The Coloradoan

Some of the horses and other animals that were set free when the fire started are being found as well--often with burns or other injuries.

And if there wasn't enough for law enforcement to deal with on Sunday, someone was arrested for impersonating a firefighter.  He had fake credentials and was driving a truck with stolen government license plates.  He got past security checkpoints and even managed to get a photo of himself with the governor.  Seriously?  What kind of a person does this sort of thing? 

One with a criminal record, apparently.  I'm sure the evacuees have enough to worry about without wondering if people are sneaking their way into the burn zone to loot the homes that are still standing.

Taken Saturday, June 16, 2012

Here are the latest statistics.

• 58,770 acres burned (91 square miles)--50% containment
• 189 homes destroyed--most destructive wildfire in Colorado history
• One life has been lost--62-year-old Linda Steadman
• 1,748 fire personnel are working on the wildfire day and night with a 24-hour work schedule in place--approximately 700 are working from "spike camps" around the fire's perimeter
• There are 118 fire engines, 37 crews and 17 helicopters assigned to the blaze
• Over 3,000 people have been evacuated
• Current cost of the fire to date is now estimated at $12.6 million

It's only been 10 days, but I'm starting to believe the fire officials when they say this fire will be with us until Mother Nature puts it out in the fall. 

A FATHER'S DAY THANK YOU

It occurred to me last night that a lot of fathers and husbands won't be with their families today......because they are here, fighting our fire.

I hope they know how thankful we are.

INSTA-FRIDAY: HIGH PARK FIRE EDITION

Nearly all of the cell phone photos I took this week were of the fire burning just west of us.  Tomorrow will mark one week since it fire started.  It's now just over 52,000 acres with nearly 15% containment.  Many evacuees have been able to go home, but more people were evacuated late last night when the fire jumped the Poudre River and threatened more homes.

Today is our best chance for rain since the fire started.

1.  The first photo I took of the fire, from our front porch, early Saturday afternoon.  The fire was a few thousand acres.  By the next day, it would be over 20,000 acres.

2.  Saturday night the skies had an eerie orange/red glow.

3.  Taken Saturday about a mile down the road from my home.  My neighborhood is off to the right.

4.  The fire really exploded on Sunday afternoon.  I took this driving home from church about 4:30 pm.

5.  The smoke has put a damper on outdoor activities this week, but we did go see Madagascar Three.  Cute, but not as good as the first two.

6.  The sunsets have been both beautiful and scary.

7.  By Tuesday afternoon, the fire had moved much further south and was threatening new homes near Horsetooth Reservoir.

8.  The skies were less dramatic by Tuesday evening, but by then the fire had burned nearly 60 square miles.

9.  By the end of the week, winds were blowing the smoke away from town.  At times, it was almost hard to see the smoke plumes rising from the hills.

We're praying that today's 40% chance of rain will become a 100% chance.  I'll keep you posted!

FIRE UPDATE

Just wanted to post a brief update on the fire.  As of Wednesday, the fire has burned an estimated 46,600 acres, or roughly 72 square miles.  The city of Fort Collins is 47 square miles.  It is currently the 3rd largest fire in Colorado history.  The fire is 10% contained.  Over 100 structures have burned.  Lightning is the confirmed cause.

One life has been lost.

While some people are still being evacuated, others are being allowed to return home.  Over 1,000 new pre-evacuation orders were issued today. 

Officials say that until we receive significant rainfall, fire fighters will be a fixture in the community.  We are grateful and happy to have them here.  Officials also say that the fire could burn into the fall season. 

Just over 1,000 people are staffed at the fire including 100 fire engines and 34 fire crews.  Air support includes five heavy tankers, five single-engine tankers, and 14 helicopters and support craft.

  Ever so slowly, progress is being made.  

THIS IS THE FIRE WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT

That's what the Larimer County sheriff said yesterday about the wildfire burning 15 miles west of us.  He could barely hold back tears Sunday afternoon as he told residents there was no hope for containment of the now 20,000 acre fire.  (*36,000 acres plus as of Monday 8:00 am)

This was the scene driving home from church about 4 pm today.

It was only a few hundred acres at 10:00 am yesterday.  How did it get so big so fast?  The governor said nature is conspiring against us. But still, it's mind boggling.  Over 2,000 evacuation orders have been issued so far.

This was the smoke plume around 7:00 pm Saturday.  That's my neighborhood off to the right.

This was the scene about 7:00 pm Sunday. 

It's bad.  It's really, really bad.  Heartbreakingly bad.

Today at church we spoke to some friends who had to evacuate yesterday afternoon.  They don't expect their home to survive.  They are an incredible, wonderful, faithful, dedicated couple.  Earlier in the day, the husband had been helping the kids from our church youth group on a service project, so he didn't have all the time he needed to pack up and get out. That's the kind of people they are though.  He said he'd help those kids, and that's what he did, even though a massive wildfire was bearing down on his home.

Not the kind of people who deserve to lose everything.  No one is though.  It just hurts more when it's someone you know.

According to the local paper, one third of all national firefighting resources are being used to combat the fire. There are currently eight aircraft, 15 engines and more than 250 personnel on the ground. Aircraft include two Type 1 helicopters, two Type 3 helicopters, two Canadian air tankers and two single-engine tankers.  A Type 1 Incident Command Team (the highest level available) will take control Monday morning.  Two Black Hawk helicopters are also on the way from the Colorado National Guard.

But for much of the day, the aircraft couldn't fly because of strong winds.  We did spot this helicopter flying over the house about 6 pm.

Like I said, it's heartbreaking.  If you know anything about Coloradoans, you know how much we love our outdoors.  Our hiking and biking and camping.  That's what Colorado is all about.  It's beautiful here.  And we don't just stand back and admire it, we get out there and enjoy it.

And this isn't just one of our favorite outdoor destination spots that's burning.  It's all of them.  The places we take our families camping, the places we attend weddings, the places we go for some exercise and fresh air, or a little peace and quiet.  Poudre Canyon.  Rist Canyon.  Horsetooth Reservoir.  Lory State Park.  They're all on fire. 

And if I'm feeling sad and sentimental about it, I can't imagine the heartbreak and worry and sadness for the people who have evacuated.  When our friend left his home Saturday afternoon, he said there were animals all over the road.  People who didn't have time or resources to load up their horses and other animals wanted to give them a chance, so they opened the gates to their pastures and set them free.

This was the sunset tonight.  Beautiful but scary at the same time.  I wish I was more hopeful that sunrise would bring good news. 

But I do believe enough prayers can bring us the rain we need.  And I believe it can bring the fire fighters the safety they need.  And the evacuees the peace they need.

So please pray.  We need all the help we can get.