Fires, Fires, Everywhere Is Fires!!!

What a crazy day! I don't know that I've commented on just how windy it stays here. Always windy! Well, you know it's going to be bad when the National Weather Service issues Red Flag Warnings at least a day out. In this case, it was issued 2 nights ago. For us that basically means "batten down the hatches and wet everything down because you're going to be facing 60-70 mph winds versus your usual 20 mph winds." That's especially dangerous from December to May in Colorado. Why? Because that is prime wildfire season.

I sit here in my house tonight and it just smells like smoke. When I walk to look out the back and look toward Fort Carson/Colorado Springs, all I see is this big orange glow. There is a very big fire up there on Fort Carson. It actually started yesterday and was contained. It flared back up this morning with all the danged wind while crews were making sure all the hot spots were out. At 6pm tonight that fire was about 2500 acres. Now it is 10pm and the fire has ballooned to 9000 acres!! Fires usually calm down at night because of the cool temperatures and normally higher humidity (humidity? What the heck is that? Oh yeah, it's what those lucky, lucky folks back East get to enjoy!! I'm serious...I love humidity and desperately miss it). Such is not the case tonight.

My friend and Welsh Pony breeder called earlier this evening while I was finishing the foolish task of planting the garden (who in their right mind puts seeds in the ground when the wind is howling at 40 mph sustained???). At that point she had 6 horses that had been evacuated from the Fort Carson stables in the round pen. More were on the way. I think maybe tomorrow I'll push finishing Lotus' mane and shedding work, as well as any riding that may be in order, out to later in the day and give these horses some extra attention. Carrots are in order! Most horses do just fine relocating, but when it's a case like this, they tend to be upset. Extra attention helps a little bit. They aren't the only ones evacuated tonight, however. A housing subdivision on Fort Carson is also under mandatory evacuation tonight. Along with those folks are the ones who've been put on alert to be ready to leave on a moment's notice.

The sad side of the Fort Carson "TA-125" fire is the death of a firefighting pilot. His plane crashed around 5 or 6pm tonight. Here's someone who's working to save people's homes and lives, and he loses his. I mourn for his family and friends tonight.

On an even more serious note is the fire to the East of us. In the town of Ordway, to be exact. Approximately 45 miles away. The fire there is smaller in size, but much more deadly. It has been fanned by....drum roll please....the wind. It is about 6000 acres in size, but the ENTIRE town of Ordway had to be evacuated. All 1100 people. Numerous homes and businesses are gone, including the airport. Even more sad is the fact 2 people have died in that fire because they could not get out of the way quick enough. They were trying to leave, even before the town was called out, and the flames were faster than they were. Terribly heartbreaking...and another family to mourn with and for.

Governor Bill Ritter has declared Crowley County, specifically the town of Ordway, in a State of Emergency. It's cleared the way for $500,000 to help with the fire fighting and some rebuilding. That's big, but it seems such a small amount of money....

I wish I could post pictures to share. I tried to get some of the smoke plume when I made the run to Walmart for flats of marigolds (keep the bunnies out of the garden), but I couldn't get a decent shot. I do plan to venture in both directions sometime later this week...if I can...so I'll get pictures of the aftermath.

For now, I'm going to go take one last look at the glow to the Northwest and fall into bed....