FAMILIES
FAMILIES ARE STILL EVACUATED FROM THEIR HOMES ALONG PARTS OF THE FRONT RANGE DUE TO
WILDFIRES.
DRY CONDITIONS AND NO
PRECIPITATION IS COMBINING TO
KEEP THOSE FIRES GOING.
THERE ARE THREE THAT WE'RE
WATCHING IN PARTICULAR
THE CAMERA PEAK FIRE BURNING IN
LARIMER COUNTY WEST OF FORT
COLLINS.
THE CALWOODFIRE AND THE LEFT
HAND CANYON FIRE BOTH IN
BOULDERCOUNTY THE CALWOODFIRE
HAS DAMAGED AT LEAST 26 HOMES.
SKY9 FLEW OVER THE AREA TODAY
TO SEE WHAT'S LEFT AND IT JUST
CAPTURED ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS
THAT ARE BURNT TO THE GROUND.
BOTH FIRES BURNING AND
BOULDERCOUNTY DID NOT GROW
SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE LAST 24
HOURS.
BUT HOMES CONTINUE TO BE
THREATENED TONIGHT.
THE BOULDER COUNTY SHERIFF'S
OFFICE SAYS CLOSE TO 3000
PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO LEAVE THEIR
HOMES BECAUSE OF THE CALWOOD
AND THE LEFT HAND CANYON FIRES
.
EVACUATION ORDERS FOR BOTH
FIRES LINE UP RIGHT NEXT TO
EACH OTHER.
THE ENTIRE TOWNS OF JAMESTOWN
AND WARD PLUS SURROUNDING AREAS
HAVE EVACUATED HIGHWAY SEVEN
LEFTHAND CANYON DRIVE, OVERLAND
ROAD AND PARTS OF U.S. 36 ARE
STILL CLOSED.
THERE'S A THREE MILE STRETCH
OF U.S. 36 THAT DID REOPEN
TODAY FROM BROADWAY TO MAEVA
ROAD.
NOT NEWS REPORTER.
LET'S GO TO LUKE IS
BOULDERCOUNTY AFTER A LONG AND
STRESSFUL WEEKEND FOR EVACUEES
.
YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO DRIVE PAST
36 AND DEBOW HERE THIS EVENING
AS FIRE CREWS ARE STILL WORKING
TO CONTAIN TWO WILDFIRES THAT
BROKE OUT WITHIN A DAY OF EACH
OTHER OVER THE WEEKEND.
THE OFFICIAL EVACUATION SITE IS
HERE IN BOULDER FOR ANYBODY WHO
DOESN'T HAVE A PLACE TO GO.
BUT FOR EVERYONE AFFECTED BY
THESE FIRES, THEY'RE HOPING
THEY JUST HAVE SOMEWHERE TO
EVENTUALLY GO HOME TO FLYING
OVER THE FOOTHILLS NORTHWEST
OF BOULDER.
YOU CAN SEE WHAT
THE CALWOODFIRE HAS LEFT
BEHIND.
AT LEAST 26 HOMES DESTROYED OR
DAMAGED IN THE FLAMES.
SO FAR MARION HALES IS NOT ONE
THE HOUSE I'M CURRENTLY IN
MY GRANDPARENTS BUILT SO WE'RE
THE THIRD GENERATION HOUSE ON
SATURDAY WHEN THE PLUME
OF SMOKE OVER JAMESTOWN BECAME
TOO OMINOUS, SHE AND HER FAMILY
HAD TO DO WHAT YEARS
OF MOUNTAIN LIVING HAS TAUGHT
THEM.
WE TOOK A PERMANENT MARKER AND
WE'RE FULLY EVACUATED ON OUR
FRONT DOOR.
AND I THINK THAT WAS THAT WAS
THE MOMENT WHEN I HAD TO LEAN
ON MY HUSBAND AND HAVE A
MOMENT.
THE CALWOODFIRE THE LARGEST
EVER RECORDED IN BOULDERCOUNTY
FORCED MARIAN AND ABOUT 3000
OTHERS TO GO ELSEWHERE.
THAT PLUME WAS ALWAYS VISIBLE
AS THEY DROVE ABOUT AN HOUR TO
A PARENT'S HOUSE IN SUGARLOAF.
BUT A DAY LATER I COULDN'T
BELIEVE THE LEFT HAND CANYON
FIRE FORCED THEM TO PACK UP
AGAIN.
IT WASN'T JUST ONE HOUSEHOLD.
WE HAD THE BENEFIT TO
HOUSEHOLDS AND VEHICLES AND A
GARAGE.
NOW FROM A SAFER PLACE IN ERIE,
MARION HAS KEPT HERSELF UPDATED
WATCHING FROM AFAR AS CREWS TRY
TO CONTAIN TWO FIRES
THREATENING THEIR FAMILY'S
HOMES AND THEIR LAND.
NOT ONLY DO YOU LOSE YOUR
HOUSE, YOU LOSE THE TREES, YOU
LOSE THE HABITAT, YOU LOSE
THE WILDLIFE.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S
THE SECOND LAYER OF HEARTBREAK
THAT COMES WITH FOREST FIRES A
HEARTBREAK THAT MARIAN SAYS HAS
ALWAYS BEEN A POSSIBILITY.
BUT STILL ONE THAT'S HARD TO
IMAGINE.
WHEN REALITY SETS IN, IT'S
THE UNKNOWN.
IT'S THE WAITING THAT IS
THE HARDEST PART.
BOULDERCOUNTY HAS A LIST OF ALL
THE HOMES AFFECTED SO FAR ON
THEIR WEB SITE.
WE HAVE A LINK TO THAT ON OUR
WEBSITE RIGHT NOW NIJ NEWS.COM
REPORTING IN BOULDER THIS
EVENING.
FAMLIES CODE CLICK NEWS CAMERON
PEAT FIRES BURNING IN LARIMER
COUNTY HITS HAS.
TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND ACRES THIS
WEEKEND.
THAT MEANS IT IS CURRENTLY OVER
THE NEW YORK CITY.
FIREFIGHTERS SAY IT'S 51
PERCENT CONTAINED.
STRONG WINDS AND SMOKE HAVE
JUST MADE IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE
TO SEAL THERE A SILVER LINING
NO SMALL ONE.
MANDATORY EVACUATIONS FOR
CERTAIN AREAS SOUTH OF THE FIRE
ALONG HIGHWAY 34 WERE
DOWNGRADED TO VOLUNTARY.
TODAY FIREFIGHTERS ON
THE KAMERON PEAK FIREWORKS 16
HOUR DAYS SOMETIMES EVEN LONGER
THAN THAT.
IT IS GRUELING WORK MADE EVEN
TOUGHER MENTALLY WHEN THE FIRE
KEEPS GROWING.
A FIREFIGHTER, THE COLORADO
DIVISION OF FIRE PREVENTION AND
CONTROL TOLD OUR KATIE EASTMAN
SOME OF THE MANY THINGS THAT
RUN THROUGH HIS MIND ON
THE FIRE LINE.
THAT'S FROM A FIREFIGHTER ON
THE EDGE OF THE FLAMES ARE
SOMETIMES STRAIGHTFORWARD.
I ABOUT BLOW GOT BLOWN OFF
MY FEET ONCE FRIDAY NIGHT.
BATTALION CHIEF DAN BATTON B89
WAS FOCUSED ON STAYING UPRIGHT
IN 70 MILE AN HOUR WINDS.
BUT THE DAYS ON THE LINE ARE
LONG ENOUGH TIME TO WONDER WHAT
IT WILL TAKE FOR THEM TO END.
YOU'RE OUT ON THE FIRE LINE AND
YOU JUST SAY MAN, I JUST GOT TO
STOP THIS THING BUT I CAN'T YOU
KNOW, MOTHER NATURE IS GONNA
HAVE TO STOP IT AT SOME POINT.
DAN WAS THERE WHEN THE KAMERON
PEAK FIRE BECAME THE LARGEST IN
COLORADO'S HISTORY LAST WEEK.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD EVER
DESCRIBE WHAT IT'S ACTUALLY
LIKE, YOU KNOW, HEARING A FIRE
SOUNDS LIKE A FREIGHT TRAIN.
WHAT I WOULD WANT TO TELL
PEOPLE IF THEY'RE LISTENING IS
THAT ALL OF THAT CAN BE STARTED
BY A CAMPFIRE THAT WASN'T FULLY
PUT OUT ARE NOT ABIDING BY
LOCAL FIRE RESTRICTIONS.
HE THINKS ABOUT THIS ON
THE LINE TOO.
BUT I THINK ABOUT ALL TIME WHEN
YOU'RE BATTLING SOMETHING THIS
BIG THE THOUGHTS CREEP IN AT
ALL HOURS.
I WAKE UP SOMETIMES HAVING
DREAMS AT THE FIRES COMING
THROUGH THE CAMP OR SOMETHING
AND THEY'RE VIVID.
THEY'RE KIND OF WEIRD.
IT'S LIKE I WAKE UP, I'M LIKE
OH LOOK OUT.
OH NO FIRES NOT BURNING
EVERYBODY OKAY?
DAN THINKS A LOT BUT IT'S WHAT
HE KNOWS IT KEEPS HIM COMING
BACK TO THE LIGHT.
I WOULD MUCH RATHER BE FIGHTING
FIRE THAN DOING A LOT
OF THINGS.
THE WINDS ARE LIGHTER NOW IN
THE KAMERON PEAK FIRE AREA BUT
THAT JUST MEANS THEY WENT FROM
70 MILE AN HOUR GUSTS TO 20 TO
30 MILES AN HOUR.
TONIGHT FIRE CREWS ARE FOCUSED
ON STOPPING FLAMES FROM
SPREADING SOUTH AND PROTECTING
BUILDINGS IN THE RETREAT.
GLEN HAVEN INSTORE MOUNTAIN
AREAS IN LARIMER COUNTY.
KATIE EASTMAN
ALONG
ALONG WITH FIREFIGHTERS. METEOROLOGISTS ARE WATCHING
COOLER MOISTER AIR JUST TO
THE NORTH.
WE CAN SEE THAT CLEARLY ON
THE REGIONAL RADAR AND
SATELLITE COMPOSITE
THE NORTHWEST FLOW THAT WAS
ALSO BEEN KICKING UP THE WIND
AND SOME OF THE FIRE ZONES AND
ALL OF THE MOISTURE MISSING
COLORADO FOR NOW.
TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN COOL
THE SURFACE WITH A BIT OF AN
INVERSION.
WE'VE HAD TEMPERATURES IN
THE 40S AND 50S AND WE'RE
STARTING TO SEE THE HUMIDITY
VALUES INCREASE A BIT WHICH
WILL BE HELPFUL.
WE'RE HOPEFUL THE WINDS WILL
NOT BE INCREASING.
RIGHT NOW THEY'RE MANAGEABLE.
BUT OVERNIGHT FOR SOME OF THE
HIGHER PASSES AROUND ALLENSPARK
RED FEATHER LAKE AND UP TOWARD
THE ESTES PARK AREA AND ALSO
KAMERON PEAK, WE COULD SEE 40
TO 50 MILE PER HOUR WINDS HERE
AT THE SURFACE WINDS REMAIN
LIGHT OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST BUT
OUR AIR QUALITY REMAINS POOR.
WE DO CONTINUE TO TRACK WHAT
COULD BE ANOTHER DAY WITH RED
FLAG WARNINGS.
THEY'VE CERTAINLY BEEN
CANCELED.
BUT WITH THAT SMOKE PLUME
HEAVILY DESCEND OVER
THE DOWNTOWN DENVER AREA, WE
KNOW WE'RE IN FOR ANOTHER TOUGH
DAY TOMORROW.
WE'RE GOING TO COVER ALL THAT
IN THE FORECAST.
JUST AHEAD.
TWENTY THREE HIKERS ARE NOW
SAFE AFTER GETTING TRAPPED BY A
NEW WILDFIRE KNEEL NEAR
SILVERTON.
THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE SAYS
THE HIKERS WERE FLOWN OUT
OF THE AREA.
THE ICE FIRE IS BURNING NEAR
THE ICONIC ICE LAKE IN THE SAN
JUAN.
THAT'S JUST WEST OF SILVERTON.
EMERGENCY OFFICIALS SAY
THE FIRE STARTED ABOUT ONE P.M.
NEAR THE TRAILHEAD.
IT'S BURNED ABOUT 320 ACRES SO
FAR.
THE DURANGO HERALD SHARED THESE
IMAGES WITH US .
OFFICIALS ASK PEOPLE TO STAY
AWAY FROM THIS AREA BUT THERE
IS NO IMMINENT THREAT
OF EVACUATIONS.
NEIGHBORS ALONG THE FRONT RANGE
ARE PITCHING IN TO HELP SOME
OTHER EVACUEES HORSES.
THERE ARE AROUND A THOUSAND
HORSES EVACUATED FROM
THE KAMERON PEAK FIRE AREA WAS
EVACUATION SITES FOR THE HORSES
QUICKLY BECAME OVERWHELMED AND
WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF FOOD.
BARBARA GROWTH AND MEGAN
BOEHLAND GOT TOGETHER TO RAISE
MORE THAN TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS
TO BUY NEARLY 20 TONS OF HAY.
NOW THEY'RE TRYING TO DOUBLE
THOSE DONATIONS TO GET OTHER
EMERGENCY SUPPLIES HOME.
THIS IS A WE BOTH LIVE HERE.
THESE ARE THESE ARE THE PEOPLE
THAT WE SEE AT SHOWS.
THESE ARE PEOPLE WE BUY HAY
FROM.
THESE ARE OUR FRIENDS.
THESE ARE OUR FACEBOOK FRIENDS
.
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT BOARD
WITH US .
THESE LIKE IT COULD BE ME.
I MEAN WHY THIS IS OUR HOUSE.
THIS IS OUR HOME.
IF YOU'D LIKE PITCHIN BEST WAY
TO CONNECT WITH THEM IS THROUGH
YOUR GO FUND ME PAGES.
WE'VE COMPILED ALL OVER
WILDFIRE COVERAGE ONTO ONE PAGE
ON OUR WEB SITE.
YOU WANT THAT STRAIGHT TO YOU.
YOU CAN ALSO