THE
THE WIND
THE WIND IS DYING DOWN, THE TEMPS ARE DROPPING AND THEY'RE MAYBE FROST MJOR
THE CAMERONPEAKFIRE OVERNIGHT.
THAT IS SUCH GOOD NEWS FOR
FIREFIGHTERS BATTLING WHAT HAS
BECOME THE LARGEST WILDFIRE IN
COLORADO HISTORY.
FIRE MANAGERS SAY IT'S GROWN TO
MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY
EIGHT THOUSAND ACRES.
ASTOS 250 SQUARE MILES TODAY
THE HIGH WINDS MOVE THAT
CAMERON FIRE EAST CLOSER TO
FORT COLLINS FORCING HUNDREDS
PEOPLE TO LEAVE HOME AND HEAD
TO SHELTERS.
CANYON LAKES RANGERS SAY SOME
STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN IMPACTED
TODAY A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT TO
SORT THROUGH THE FIRE.
FIREFIGHTERS SPEAK ON THAT SO
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT EXACTLY
BURNED IN THE CAMERONPEAKFIRE
PICTURES AND VIDEO FROM
NORTHERN COLORADO SHOW
THE MASSIVE SMOKE PLUME KIND
APOCALYPTIC LOOK.
SMOKE WAS SO HEAVY AT TIMES IT
SEEMED LIKE DUSK DURING THE DAY
UP AT COLORADO STATE.
TIME LAPSE VIDEOS FROM ESTES
PARK SHOWS JUST HOW ACTIVE THAT
FIRE LESS TODAY SMOKE BILLOWED
OVER THE MOUNTAINS.
ALL ALONG THE FRONT RANGE AND
ONE OF THE STRIKING IMAGES
SHOWED A HERD ELK WITH MASSIVE
SMOKE PLUMES RIGHT BEHIND THEM.
THE EVACUATION FROM THE FIRE
STRETCH FROM STATE FOR STATE
PARK ALL THE WAY TO HORSETOOTH
RESERVOIR JUST WEST OF FORT
COLLINS.
THE BLACK ON THE MAP YOU SEE
THERE THAT SHOWS WHAT'S BURNED
SO FAR.
THE RED IS FOR MANDATORY
EVACUATION WHICH NOW INCLUDE
LORII STATE PARK IN HORSETOOTH
MOUNTAIN.
THE YELLOW YOU SEE THOSE ARE
VOLUNTARY EVACUATIONS.
TONIGHT WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE
ON THE FIREFIGHTERS PLANS AND
INFO ON EVACUATION SHELTERS FOR
PEOPLE WHO HAD TO LEAVE THEIR
HOME BEHIND THE NIGHT NEWS
REPORTER JENNIFER MICHAELS
JOINS ON THE PHONE.
SHE'S UP AT AN EVACUATION
ROADBLOCK NEAR HORSETOOTH
RESERVOIR.
JENNY, YOU WERE ABLE TO TALK
SOME OF THOSE EVACUEES?
YES, I WAS IN KYLE AND ALEX.
YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT
HORSETOOTH RESERVOIR.
THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO TELL
WHERE I AM TONIGHT.
JUST ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE
OF THE RESERVOIR IS WHERE ONE
OF THESE ROAD BLOCKS BEGINS
WEST COUNTY ROAD 38 E IS WHAT
THE MAP TELLS ME THEY'RE
CALLING IT.
BUT THIS IS ONE AREA WHERE A
LOT OF PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR HOMES
TODAY WE'RE PASSING AND WE'RE
SHERIFF DEPUTIES WITH
THE LARIMER COUNTY SHERIFF'S
OFFICE AND NOT LETTING PEOPLE
BACK IN.
ONLY REALLY ON A CASE BY CASE
BASIS FOR THE FOLKS WHO NEED TO
GET THINGS AND THEN GET BACK
OUT AGAIN.
LET'S LOOK AT THAT EVACUATION
MAP ONE MORE TIME.
WE'VE ALREADY BEEN WALKS
THROUGH WE KNOW THE RED IS
THE MANDATORY EVACUATION ZONE.
YELLOW IS VOLUNTARY.
BUT AMONG THE LISTS MANDATORY
ZONES.
WE'VE GOT HORSETOOTH MOUNTAIN
PARK BOBCAT RIDGE NATURAL AREA,
SEVERAL LITTLE TOWNS IN THIS
AREA WE'VE GOT MASONVILLE.
WE'VE GOT LORII STATE PARK ON
THIS LIST.
A LOT PEOPLE WHO ARE TOLD THEY
NEED TO LEAVE TODAY AND
THE PEOPLE WE'VE TALKED TO SAID
THEY ARE ONLY IN AND OUT TO
MOVE ANIMALS, CARS AND GET WHAT
THEY NEED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES.
WE SAW A LOT OF THAT KIND
OF ACTIVITY TODAY.
I'M TALKING ABOUT ANIMAL
TRAILERS, PEOPLE IN THEIR
MOBILE HOMES BOTH BEING MOVED
OUT OF THE AREA AND A LOT
OF PEOPLE CHECKING THE LATEST
INFORMATION WHEN THEY GET TO A
GAS STATION TO HAVE A CHANCE TO
CHECK THEIR PHONE.
AND FOR MANY PEOPLE WE TALKED
TO TODAY, IT IS NOT THE FIRST
TIME THEY'VE HAD TO EVACUATE
FROM THIS FIRE AND MANY OF THEM
HAVE BEEN LIVING WITH THIS FIRE
THREAT FOR TWO MONTHS NOW.
LAST TIME WE WERE VERY LUCKY
BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN WE GOT THAT
SNOWFALL UP THERE AND WE GOT
ABOUT SIX INCHES OF SNOW AND
I THINK THAT'S WHY WE WERE ABLE
TO GO BACK SO SOON.
THIS TIME THERE'S NO MOISTURE
IN THE FORECAST.
AND JUST WIND.
AND SO I'M A LITTLE MORE
UNNERVED, SOMEWHAT MORE NERVOUS
BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING IN
SIGHT THAT MIGHT STOP IT.
IT FEELS LIKE AN APOCALYPTIC
LIKE BLADE RUNNER, YOU KNOW.
I MEAN THIS MORNING WHEN I WOKE
UP I IT FELT REALLY OMINOUS AND
THAT'S WHEN I KNEW LIKE MAYBE
TODAY IS THE DAY THAT I'M GONNA
HAVE TO MOVE THE BUS.
SO I MEAN I'M GLAD I DID.
WE DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO
THAT IS EXACTLY HOW MANY PEOPLE
LIVE IN THE MANDATORY
EVACUATION ZONE.
THAT'S THE QUESTION I'M ASKING
TONIGHT.
JUST DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER YET.
BUT WE KNOW THAT THE AMERICAN
RED CROSS IS VERY BUSY HELPING
PEOPLE THAT COME TO THEM
LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO STAY.
THEY'RE USING SEVERAL HOTELS
ACROSS NORTHERN COLORADO FOR
SHELTERS TONIGHT.
AT LAST CHECK ABOUT 730 THIS
EVENING RED CROSS TELLS US THEY
HAD FIVE NON CONGREGATE
SHELTERS.
SO THOSE ARE ESSENTIALLY PLACES
PEOPLE CAN GET THEIR OWN ROOMS
SHELTERING AT LEAST 230 PEOPLE.
AND OF THAT 230 AT LEAST 130
WERE NEW CLIENTS AS OF TODAY.
RED CROSS IS ASKING PEOPLE TO
GIVE THEM A CALL IF THEY ARE IN
NEED OF SHELTER.
TONIGHT I BELIEVE WE SHOULD
HAVE THAT PHONE NUMBER UP ON
YOUR SCREEN.
IF NOT, WE'LL MAKE SURE IT'S UP
ON OUR WEB SITE AS WELL.
LOT OF PEOPLE TONIGHT TRYING TO
GET OUT OF THIS AREA.
AND YOU HEARD THEM GUYS
MENTIONED THIS WIND.
MY COLLEAGUE JORDAN CHAVEZ IS
REPORTING FROM LOVELAND AREA
TONIGHT WHERE THERE ARE OTHER
SHELTERS IN PLACE AND HE'S BEEN
TALKING TO INCIDENT COMMAND
ABOUT FIGHTING THIS FIRE.
JUDY, WE WERE ACTUALLY OUTSIDE
THE EMBASSY SUITES HERE IN LOVE
ONE WHICH IS ONE OF THOSE SPOTS
WHERE EVACUEES ARE COMING AND
IT'S ALSO HOME BASE WHERE
THE INTERNET COMMAND TEAM WHERE
THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE INSIDE
TONIGHT HARD AT WORK.
THEIR JOBS MAY BE TOUGHER
BECAUSE OF THE STRONG WIND THAT
SWEPT THROUGH THIS AREA EARLIER
TODAY.
A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE INSTANT
COMMAND TEAM SAYS THAT IN SOME
PARTS OF THE STATE PARTICULARLY
NEAR CSU MOUNTAIN CAMP IS GUSTS
REACH UP TO 76 MILES PER HOUR.
THAT WIND, HOWEVER, HAS NOW
MOVED OUT OF THE AREA BUT IT'S
LEFT SOME PRETTY BIG IMPACT IN
ITS WAKE.
FOR STARTERS, HAD HINDERED
RESOURCES TO FIGHT THIS FIRE.
THE INCIDENT COMMAND TEAM SAYS
THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO PUT UP ANY
AIR SUPPORT TODAY BECAUSE
OF STRONG GUSTS AND HOW STRONG
THEY WERE
PERHAPS
PERHAPS THE BIGGEST IMPACT FROM ALL OF THIS IS HOW MUCH IT DRY
THE AREA OUT AT THE WIND PASS
THROUGH THINGS ALREADY WE'RE
LOOKING TOO GOOD BECAUSE OF HOW
LOW HUMIDITY LEVELS HAVE BEEN
RECENTLY.
AND WHEN YOU ADD THESE STRONG
GUSTS TO THE MIX, IT JUST DRIES
OUT THOSE FUELS LIKE THE TREES,
THE GRASSES, THE SHRUBS EVEN
MORE ESSENTIALLY OF YOU KNOW,
WITH THE HIGH WINDS, THE SUPER
DRY FUELS.
I MEAN WHEN I SAY SUPER THEY
ARE ONE EXAMPLE THAT ARE FIVE
BEHAVIOR ANALYST GAVE US .
IMAGINE YOU ARE RIGHT HERE AND
THIS IS ONE SIZE OF THE FUELS
THIS SIZE FUEL IS ACTUALLY SOKO
DRY.
IT IS LIKE PAPER AND YOU DON'T
HOW FAST AND EASILY PAPER BURNS
.
SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW DRY
IT IS OUT THERE.
NOW DESPITE THE LACK OF AIR
SUPPORT, WE ARE TOLD THERE WERE
STILL AT LEAST AROUND 20 CREWS
ON THE GROUND FIGHTING THIS
FIRE.
EARLIER THIS EVENING SOUTH
METRO FIRE RESCUE SAID THAT
THEY WERE SENDING AN ADDITIONAL
CREW THIS EVENING TO HELP.
THAT WOULD BE HERE FOR ABOUT
THE NEXT 72 HOURS.
THE BIG THING WITHIN THE LAST
SEVERAL HOURS IS THAT
THE TEMPERATURES HAVE REALLY
DROPPED HERE TONIGHT BUT WE'RE
TOLD THAT WON'T REALLY HELP.
KATHY, WHAT WE'RE STILL WAITING
FOR IN THE FORECAST