Jump to content
IGNORED

Colorado Fires


Endobob

Recommended Posts

The biggest fire I keep seeing reported on is around the Colorado Springs/Pikes Peak area. It looks to be about 2 hours travel time from Salida to the actual fire, but I'm sure its much closer as the crow flies. Not to mention, I'm sure you can see the smoke for 100's of miles in every direction.

 

I have also read reports of US 24 being shut down, but haven't seen a map showing the exact situation. I think things are changing so fast that it is difficult for them to relay reliable information. It will certainly be interesting to see how it all plays out over the next month. I can imagine that it will still be affecting travel plans when we all come to town.

Link to comment
Missouri Bob

The situations change quickly. Lightning started the Flagstaff (as in Flagstaff mountain, not Arizona) fire (not listed) two or three days ago. My immediate neighborhood has had multiple lightning strikes over the past 48 hours.

 

When my neighborhood was evacuated two years ago, I saw how panic affected people's driving. It could have been ugly. If Salida or the surrounding area sees fire, be prepared to leave on very short notice. It is better to get out before the multi-Subaru pile-up blocks your egress.

 

Bob

Link to comment
It is better to get out before the multi-Subaru pile-up blocks your egress.

 

Nothing shall come between me and my egress (if it comes it that)

 

Thats why I got the GS :grin:

Link to comment

PB is correct. As of now, there are no fires close to Salida. However, since we are still weeks away, none of the information available today holds much meaning. These fires start randomly and spread quickly, mostly driven by the wind. Check back in mid-July. Or, along the line of "make lemonaide", you might pack some marshmallows.

Link to comment
PB is correct. As of now, there are no fires close to Salida. However, since we are still weeks away, none of the information available today holds much meaning. These fires start randomly and spread quickly, mostly driven by the wind. Check back in mid-July. Or, along the line of "make lemonaide", you might pack some marshmallows.

 

Since I plan on coming no matter what the situation, I'll bring along some marshmallows. :grin:

 

This link to visualize the wildfires really is good. :thumbsup:

Link to comment

When the evac order comes, you have to be ready to go.

 

I was at Boy Scout camp near Elbert, CO on Sunday. They said if the evac siren sounded, we met at the designated location w/o anything but ourselves and be ready to leave immediately.

 

Lucky for us it didn't happen.

Link to comment
Or, along the line of "make lemonaide", you might pack some marshmallows.

 

Done!

 

I'm planning on having a good time regardless of the situation. Weather it be riding a bunch of beautiful mountain passes while returning to a hotel room, or living in a tent for a week while checking out alternative locations.

 

Doesn't matter. Its the UN.......I just plan to meet up with friends and have fun. So far, all I have is a "leave" date and a "return" date :)

Link to comment
When the evac order comes, you have to be ready to go.

 

 

I just spoke with a friend in Colorado Springs. He said that over 30,000 people have been told to evacuate - almost everyone west of I-25 from the Air Force Academy down south to Rt 24.

Link to comment

This may help:

 

Below is a link to a government website I found that uses satellite thermal imagery overlaid on a Google earth image showing the burn area of all fires in the nation. I don’t know how often the thermal imagery is updated, but the current data capture was taken a 3:50am (Mountain Time) today.

http://www.geomac.gov/index.shtml

 

1.) Once open click the upper left menu item “GeoMAC Viewer”

2.) Using the “Jump to Wildfire” drop box in the upper right select “Waldo Canyon CO”

a. Pan by picking and dragging the image

b. A zoom bar is in the upper right of the map

c. Various filters can be applied in the menu to the left

i. By toggling the Base Data filter you can jump between “Street Map” that will give you street names and the default “Imagery.”

 

At the risk of sounding dramatic it’s actually worse than what you’re seeing on TV. It has been announced that this is the worst fire in CO history and many friends and coworker’s homes are now either gone, damaged to some degree, or still standing as the lone survivors in neighborhoods that have been wiped out. Given what it’ll take to rebuild these ‘hoods they’d probably would have been better off is they’d lost their homes.

 

People here are stressed to the max but the county and city governments have shown that they’re up to the task of supporting the fire victims and the first responders have been nothing short of incredible.

 

There are several people at my company who seem to be walking around in a daze. In many cases they had less than an hour’s notice to pack up and leave, others had all day……that’s how fast the fire grew and then moved with up to 65mph winds. The reality is setting in that their lives will never be the same and that these formerly beautiful neighborhoods won’t be back to normal for several generations.

 

Aside from that yes, many have been evacuated and late yesterday some have been notified they can return to their homes.

 

Link to comment
Dennis Andress

:wave: Hi Bob!

 

Fires suck. They suck more for the people who live there. Economicaly, our visit means a lot to the local people. Unless there is a safety risk, canceling would compound the effects of the fire for them.

 

It's not unusuall for smoke from thsee fires to be blown 50-70 miles upwind. The passes and canyons make a natural vacuum cleaner. It would be good to know if Salida is upwind, or downwind, from the fires.

 

Dennis

Link to comment

You know, my response to Bob's thread may have fanned the flames (pardon the pun) of his concern about fire danger and was focused more on our part of the state than Salida.

 

The bottom line here is that a fire can start anytime, anywhere, and under almost any condition. The other CO fire near Ft. Collins was started by a lightning strike, the word out here is that an arsonist is to blame. Can a fire hit Salida? Yes. Is it likely to happen before, during, or after out rally? Yes.

 

Let's focus on having a safe and enjoyable ride to the rally and hope for the best. If for some reason the town burns down before we get there ya'll are all welcome to come stay at my place. I'm sure my neighbors won't mind you camping out on their lawns. Heck, I'll even chip in for a porta-potty! :P

 

Link to comment

The beetles and the fires are a plague, but we are coming to dump some money and some normalcy in Colorado, Randy. Well, maybe just money. :D

 

You and all the folks in the path of this devastation are in our thoughts.

Link to comment
It is better to get out before the multi-Subaru pile-up blocks your egress.

 

Nothing shall come between me and my egress (if it comes it that)

 

Thats why I got the GS :grin:

 

+1

Link to comment

Thanks for the info, Randy. You haven't mentioned it, but I assume you and your family are OK?

 

Jane's friend is about a mile across the freeway from the Air Force Academy. She has not yet had to evacuate, but could be next. Her daughter lives closer to the Academy, I assume west of the freeway, and has had to evacuate and doesn't the status of her home, the last we heard.

 

Good luck to all concerned.

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

Looks like they got a lot of rain in the area, I bailed off I-25 for I-70 Sunday. My reward, missed the big storms south of Denver but got huge winds off my left quarter through Kansas and half of Oklahoma. Such is life, decisions decisions!

 

South of Laramie, WY Sunday!

 

smugshot6259274-L.jpg

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...