2 confirmed dead in Black Forest fire; 360 homes destroyed

[alp227]

Source: Denver Post

At least two people have been killed so far in the Black Forest fire, El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said Thursday.

They were the first confirmed fatalities in the fire, which began Tuesday and pushed toward densely populated subdivisions of Colorado Springs on Thursday. Authorities issued mandatory evacuations for thousands of additional residents in Colorado Springs.

As thick smoke billowed over the region, parts of Interstate 25 were reduced to a near-standstill as people tried to flee. Firefighters focused efforts on trying to prevent the flames from jumping west across Highway 83, which could greatly expand the scope of the fire.

Authorities said the flames had not yet crossed Highway 83, but they said winds were blowing smoke in that direction and they were worried about the possibility of spot fires.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23451177/black-forest-fire-evacuation-zone-expands-winds-lightning

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Continuing updates are on the Denver Post and Colorado Springs Gazette (http://gazette.com) websites.

[DeSwiss]

1. K&R

[truebluegreen]

2. Crap. Been waiting for this to happen;

hoping it wouldn't, knowing it would. Like it did last year, like it will next year.

I was born and raised along the Front Range, and the climate has changed so much, it seems unrecognizable. So many trees under stress, so much drought for so long...I was there last spring/early summer for a fishing and camping trip. 2% of average snow pack in the mountains, and the "30-year average" was already affected by a 10-yr drought. 60 degrees at 10 o'clock at night at 10,000 ft above sea level--should have been near freezing. No water in the streams at a time of year that should have seen run-off from snow melt.

Made me cry, made me furious, made me decide to never go back....

[Blue_In_AK]

8. I was in Colorado last summer, too.

It was HOT. I don't remember it being anywhere near that hot when I lived in C. Springs back in the '50s and early '60s. It always cooled off at night.

[truebluegreen]

9. Exactly. When I was young it was like that.

Low relative humidity meant it cooled off at night and warmed to only the mid-80s during the day. Perfect climate, it seemed to me.

Now I understand that water vapor is a greenhouse gas and lacking humidity the air didn't hold the heat overnight (everybody knows that deserts can get very cold once the sun goes down).

Now, with other greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere (to a greater degree than previously), it doesn't cool at night, in the mountains or on the plains. Now it stays warm. Now the snow on the Never Summer Range is gone in April instead of July. Now the summer's daily afternoon thunderstorms caused by condensing moisture in the high country don't happen any more, and don't cool the afternoons. Now it is just hot.

I weep for the beauty that was, and rage for the ignorance and indifference that is.

[El Supremo]

3. Two dead.

They were trying to get out when the fire suddenly caught their trees. I guess it's lucky that there haven't been more.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. duplicate

of http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014507941

[kimbutgar]

5. Ironic that a part of Colorado that has a lot of global warming deniers are experiencing the effects

Of global warming. Colorado springs has a lot of Christian fundamentalists. In Oklahoma they dealt with those terrible tornados. All these strong bible belt areas are getting hit. Is this a warning from the almighty to stop voting republican? Snark

[freshwest]

6. Fire season already there. At times it seems like it's year round some places.

Take care, folks.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. This makes me really sad.

I remember going to the Black Forest when I was a kid.

[Heathen57]

10. We have been watching

the smoke rise in the East from us, blocking the sunrise. We have people we have worked with that live out there, but we haven't heard from them as of yet. It's hard to see this, especially living through Waldo Canyon last year.

Hard to think of what we are losing this year. Royal Gorge Bridge attraction is gone as well, but the bridge survived with minimal damage. There is another fire near Cripple Creek that is ravaging that area.

Damn all these assholes who continue to deny climate change in order to rape the planet for a couple more dollars.

As of 9:03 PM MDT there are huge rain clouds heading toward the fire, so keep your fingers crossed.