.
. THOUSANDS PEOPLE STILL CAN'T RETURN TO THEIR HOMES TONIGHT
AS THE WILDFIRES BURN MORE
LAND.
THERE WAS NO BREAK FOR OUR
FIREFIGHTERS IN THE NEXT 24
HOURS.
THEY'RE UP AGAINST ANOTHER
CRITICAL DAY OF FIRE CONDITIONS
30 MILE AN HOUR WINDS EXPECTED
TOMORROW AS WELL.
FIREFIGHTERS AT THE CAMERA PEAK
FIRE SAY THEY'RE ALSO LOSING
PERSONNEL TO THE CALWOOD AND
LEFTHAND FIRES.
A POST ON THE CAMERON PEAK FIRE
FACEBOOK PAGE SAYS THAT
THE NUMBER OF FIREFIGHTERS
WORKING ON THAT FIRE IS LESS
THAN WHAT THEY REQUESTED.
CREWS ARE BEING MOVED TO OTHER
FIRES AS THEY FLARE UP.
CAMERA PEAK FIRE WAS ACTIVE
ENOUGH TODAY THAT FIREFIGHTERS
PUT CREWS BACK FOR THEIR
SAFETY.
IT'S NOW BURNED MORE THAN 200
FIVE THOUSAND ACRES DOUBLE
THE SIZE OF THE CITY OF DENVER
AND THEY'VE GOT CONTAINMENT ON
HALF OF IT.
ONE WOMAN'S HOUSE IN
THE FOOTHILLS IS STILL STANDING
AFTER THE CAMERON PEAK FIRE
PASSED THROUGH.
IT'S THANKS TO THE QUICK WORK
OF HER FIANCEE WHO GOT A HOSE
AND HEADED FOR A WELL.
AND THEN NEWS REPORTER LIZ
KOTALIK TALKED WITH HER AND
THE MAN SHE CALLS HER HERO.
THE CAMERON PEAK FIRE BECAME
THE LARGEST WILDFIRE IN
COLORADO STATE HISTORY LAST
WEEK.
TODAY CREWS TELL US THAT
THEY'RE PREPARING FOR A FEW
DAYS OF GUSTY WINDS AND DRY
CONDITIONS.
ALL WHILE SOME RESIDENTS ARE
STILL HUNKERING DOWN AFTER
ALREADY FIGHTING THE FIRE
THEMSELVES.
THAT'S MY NEIGHBORS HOUSE
FRIDAY NIGHT IN BELLEVUE.
MIKE SLATE WAS BY HIMSELF.
THAT'S MY HOUSE RIGHT THERE.
IT'S GETTING A LITTLE TOO CLOSE
FOR COMFORT .
SOON HE WAS ABOUT TO COME FACE
TO FACE WITH THE EDGE OF THE
KAMERON PEAK FIRE.
I HAD FELT SO HELPLESS.
ON HOW TO HELP HIM.
AND I COULD SEE IT ON HAARER
GAME CAMERA COMING UP TO
MY PHONE.
THOSE PICTURES THAT I SHOWED
YOU ARE ALL FROM MY GAME CAMERA
AND I COULD SEE IT IN OUR FRONT
PASTURE AND I FELT VERY
HELPLESS.
MIKE'S FIANCEE JANINE HAD LEFT
THAT MORNING AFTER THE COUPLE
WATCHED HOMES AROUND THEM GO UP
IN FLAMES.
THEY GOT EVACUATION ORDERS ON
WEDNESDAY.
BUT IT TOOK A FEW DAYS TO
GATHER UP THEIR ANIMALS.
JANINE IS NOW IN WINDSOR.
MIKE DECIDED TO STAY.
I HAD TO DO IT.
DO THIS.
NO MATTER WHAT.
AND I WAS WILLING TO TAKE
PRETTY MUCH ANY RISK NECESSARY.
THE NIGHT THE FIRE APPROACHED
ALL MIKE HAD TO FIGHT.
IT WAS A GENERATOR AND A HOSE
WITHOUT KNOWING HOW MUCH WATER
HE HAD IN HIS WELL.
HE WAITED UNTIL THE FLAMES WERE
RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM TO START
SPRAYING THE FIRE.
FLAMES ARE JUST EVERYWHERE
THREE SIDES OF OUR HOUSE AND
I'M JUST RUNNING AROUND WITH A
GARDEN SQUIRTED AND EVERYTHING
I CAN I CAN REACH.
AND THEN THE FLAMES WERE SO
INTENSE THAT I ACTUALLY GOT A
SUNBURN FROM IT AT ONE A.M. HIS
NEIGHBOR WAS FIGHTING TO
DIGGING FIRE LINES ON THE EDGE
OF HIS PROPERTY.
A FIRE TRUCK EVENTUALLY CAME
AND TONIGHT THEIR HOMES STILL
STAND.
I MEAN THAT'S OUR LIVELIHOOD.
WE BOTH WORK FULL TIME JOBS TO
BE ABLE TO LIVE OUT THERE.
YOU HATE TO LOSE SOMETHING
YOU'VE WORKED SO HARD FOR.
JANINE IS STILL WATCHING FROM
HER RED CROSS HOTEL ROOM AS
THE FIRE NOW BURNS TO THE EAST.
MIKE IS STILL STAYING WITH
THE DANGER OF ANOTHER FIREFIGHT
LOOMING ON THE RICH ABOVE HIM.
WHAT IF I DON'T STAY THERE?
THAT'S WHAT REALLY WORRIES ME.
IT'S ESTIMATED MORE THAN 100
STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN DAMAGED OR
DESTROYED SINCE THE FIRE
STARTED IN AUGUST.
MIKE DOES WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW
THAT HE DOES HAVE AN ESCAPE
ROUTE IF IT COMES TO THAT.
FIRE CREWS DID TELL US TODAY
THAT THERE WOULD BE A HEAVY
AERIAL PRESENCE FROM SUNUP TO
SUNDOWN ALL WHILE THEY PREPARE
FOR A FEW DAYS WHERE
THE WEATHER WILL NOT BE ON
THEIR SIDE IN LARIMER COUNTY
THIS EVENING.
I'M LIZ KOTALIK NBCNEWS.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
FORCED TO EVACUATE BECAUSE
OF THOSE THREE FIRES.
CALFIRE MANAGERS SAY FAMILIES
SHOULD HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE IN
CASE THEY DO NEED TO GO.
PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN
THE MANDATORY EVACUATION ZONES
ARE STRONGLY URGED TO LEAVE TO
A SAFE LOCATION.
THE CALWOOD FIRE IN BOULDER
COUNTY GREW BY ANOTHER 500
ACRES TODAY.
FIREFIGHTERS SAY IT'S NOW GONE
THROUGH NINETY EIGHT HUNDRED
ACRES 15 SQUARE MILES.
WINDS BLOWING EAST HAVE PUSHED
THE FIRE THAT WAY.
THE LEFT HAND CANYON FIRE ALSO
IN BOULDER COUNTY STAYED ABOUT
THE SAME SIZE TODAY.
AND GOOD NEWS NO NEW
EVACUATIONS NEAR EITHER
OF THOSE FIRES TODAY.
THERE ARE FAMILIES THAT WERE
PREVIOUSLY EVACUATED.
LEARNING NOW THAT THEY NO
LONGER HAVE A HOME.
THE WALSHES, ONE OF THOSE
FAMILIES, WHILE THEY MAY HAVE
LOST A HOUSE, THEY HAVE NOT
LOST PERSPECTIVE.
TODD AND COURTNEY TELL US THEY
HAD 20 MINUTES TO GET OUT ONCE
THAT FIRE STARTED THEY GOT
THEIR KIDS, THEIR DOGS, THEIR
BUNNIES.
THEY MADE IT OUT THEIR PARENTS
DID TO FIREFIGHTERS WERE
RUSHING IN TO TRY AND SAVE
THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S A HUMBLING EXPERIENCE TO
RUN AWAY FROM SOMETHING AND AND
TO THINK THERE'S NOTHING I CAN
DO.
AND TO SEE MEN AND WOMEN THAT
ARE GOING RIGHT INTO THAT.
FIREFIGHTERS SAY AT LEAST 26
HOUSES AND CABINS BURNED IN
THE CALWOOD FIRE.
HOMEOWNERS STILL CAN'T GET BACK
UP THERE TO SEE WHAT IS LEFT ON
THEIR PROPERTIES.
THE NATIONAL FOREST SERVICE
TAKEN AN EXTREME STEP TO MAKE
SURE MORE FIRES DON'T POP UP
ACROSS COLORADO.
THEY'RE CLOSING NATIONAL FOREST
LAND TO VISITORS IN CLEAR
CREEK.
GILPIN BOULDER AND LARIMER
COUNTIES AND PARTS OF JEFFERSON
COUNTY AS WELL.
THIS MEANS NEWLY FOUR HUNDRED
TWENTY TWO THOUSAND ACRES
OF LAND WILL BE CLOSING AT
MIDNIGHT.
IT'S THE BIGGEST CLOSURE EVER
FOR THE ARAPAHOE AND ROOSEVELT
NATIONAL FORCE.
IT'S AN ATTEMPT TO STOP EVEN
MORE NEW FIRES FROM STARTING IN
COLORADO.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY SEVEN FIRES
BURNING AND THEY'RE ALL VERY
LARGE FIRES AND SO ARE
RESOURCES ARE TAPPED AND WE CAN
NOT AFFORD TO HAVE ANOTHER
WILDFIRE.
OFFICIALS SAY DROUGHT
CONDITIONS COMBINED WITH HIGH
WINDS MAKE IT JUST THE PERFECT
WEATHER FOR FIRES OVER THE NEXT
FEW DAYS.
BUT WITH SNOW IN THE EXTENDED
FORECAST, THEY HOPE THE BAN IS
SHORT LIVED.
AND JIM, WE'RE TRACKING SOME
MOISTURE JUST NORTH OF THE
REGION.
WE'VE GOT HIGH AND MID-LEVEL
CLOUDS STREAMING IN ON
THE NORTHWEST FLOW AS SEEN BY
THE REGIONAL RADAR AND
SATELLITE COMPOSITE.
BUT ALL OF THE MOISTURE IS
REMAINING NORTH AND EAST OF THE
METRO AREA AT ALL CHANGES BY
THE WEEKEND SHIFT IN
THE PATTERN THAT WILL USHER IN
SOME COOLER AIR.
WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE LOWER
40S AFTER A DAY WITH HIGHS IN
THE 60S AND WATCHING
THE HUMIDITY VALUES INCH UP
MICROMANAGERS GETTING A BREAK
AS THE WINDS ARE MUCH LIGHTER
THIS EVENING COMING IN OUT
THE NORTHWEST THEY MAY BE
INCREASING EARLY TOMORROW
MORNING OUT OF THE SOUTH
SOUTHWEST MOVING FROM 30 TO 40
MILES PER HOUR NOT TO THE 70
MILE PER HOUR PEAK GUSTS THAT
WE SAW EARLIER THIS WEEK AND
THE SMOKE PLUME THAT DROPS
SOUTH OVER DENVER IS BEGINNING
TO LIFT FURTHER NORTH.
SO AIR QUALITY WILL BE
IMPROVING SOMEWHAT BUT THERE'S
STILL ALERTS OUT FOR
PARTICULATES IN THE ATMOSPHERE
AND SO THAT AIR QUALITY WILL
REMAIN IN TACT TOMOROW ALONG
WITH RED FLAG WARNINGS OUT FOR
SOUTH PARK MIDDLE PARK AND
THE NORTHERN FRONT RANGE