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Boulder CO wildfire

The crews of those planes that drop retardant have to some of the most skilled, bravest guys in the air.

Good luck, Frank.
 
I've been watching the plume just south of me all day. Incredible but not unexpected for the amount of dryness and wind.
 
The wind has settled down this evening. Let us hope it stays calm so the firefighters can contain this thing.
 
SezMe said:
The crews of those planes that drop retardant have to some of the most skilled, bravest guys in the air.

Good luck, Frank.
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colorado420 21p · 1 hour ago

Boulder County Fire radio: "We still have pockets of power in houses that either are on fire or soon to be on fire."
Dispatch: What area?
Fire: "entire sunshine canyon area all the way up to gold hill"

http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_15998749#idc-cover
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Have rented in years past up on Sunshine Canyon not too far below Gold Hill. Gorgeous.

Out here for just a month so we opted the cheaper route in a condo to the east. No danger here whatsoever. Just a lot of smoke earlier today.

The wind has died way way down so this should be under control by morning hopefully but a lot of homes may be gone by then.

Left Hand Canyon is the firebreak to the north to anyone familiar with the area.
 
SezMe said:
The crews of those planes that drop retardant have to some of the most skilled, bravest guys in the air.

Good luck, Frank.
Click to expand...

Flying close to mountains is very dangerous so big kudos to these guys!
 
Not just the pilots, but the smoke jumpers that parachute right into the thick of the fire. I was a firefighter, but I could never do what these guys do.

 
NYCEMT86 said:
Not just the pilots, but the smoke jumpers that parachute right into the thick of the fire. I was a firefighter, but I could never do what these guys do.
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Indeed. But let's also throw some kudos to the scientists and engineers who develop such amazing technologies that make it all possible.
 
For folks wanting to get some idea of where a fire might be when you can't find a news source with a map, wunderground.com has fire perimeters and satellite detected fire locations on their site.

This link should bring up a perspective of the Boulder fires.
http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/?lat=40.14319&lon=-105.20782&zoom=9&type=hyb&units=english&top=fire&rad=0&wxsn=0&svr=0&cams=0&sat=0&riv=0&mm=0&hur=0&fire=1&fire.sat=1&fire.smk=1&fire.day=1&fire.day=7&fire.hrmin=0&fire.hrmax=24&fire.opa=70&fire.mode=0&tor=0&ndfd=0&pix=0&dir=0&ads=0&pb=0
 
roger said:
We were headed to Gold Hill for some 4wd fun and saw a huge plume of smoke coming from that general direction. Needless to say, our fun was diverted.

You can listen to the boulder county sheriff & fire here: http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?action=wp&feedId=591

It's very depressing - it is such a beautiful area.
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There's quite a number of fires and it's still very bad (though "downtown" Gold Hill itself apparently still stands!):

http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_16010456

The Colorado Mountain Ranch west of Gold Hill is gone:

http://photos.denverpost.com/mediacenter/2010/09/firefighter-photos-near-gold-hill/#24

Sunshine Canyon starting around Bald Mountain and up from there looks screwed.

Spent a few hours today on Green Moutain atop the Flatirons above Boulder with my binoculars checking out the helicopters scooping water from Gross Reservoir and all the DC-10's dropping retardant. Quite a spectacle.

Most others were watching the action from further down Flagstaff Road. But one couple was up there with me for a while pointing and comparing notes, and I asked them about a couple landmarks I was trying to pick out through the smoke and fire.

Turned out they were trying to spot their own house (Sugarloaf area) and seemed remarkably calm, even academic about the situation.
 
wunky pointed out that the fire started 2 blocks from a house we were considering buying when we moved out here.
 
roger said:
wunky pointed out that the fire started 2 blocks from a house we were considering buying when we moved out here.
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So it's your fault for not having moved that propane tank that somebody ran into starting this whole thing.

Sorry but there's no proper smilie for this.
 
Frank Newgent said:
The Colorado Mountain Ranch west of Gold Hill is gone:

http://photos.denverpost.com/mediacenter/2010/09/firefighter-photos-near-gold-hill/#24
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I was wrong.

Colorado Mountain Ranch owner Mike Walker, 60, is making a stand against the Fourmile Fire with his wife and 25-year-old daughter in a desperate effort to save the children's summer camp and outdoor recreation center they operate.

"He's safe, he's up there," said Walker's 19-year-old daughter Rose, who evacuated. "He just won't leave. We never doubted where he was, he just won't leave for anybody."

Rose Walker said her father, mother and sister are trying everything to save their ranch, with her father using a tractor to scoop up flames away from structures, "literally dragging the fire away from the buildings."

On Wednesday, Rose Walker said her family was still at their ranch, using rakes and backpacks filled with water and a hose to put out any hot spots.

Firefighters have been suppplying water when possible to families like the Walkers who are carrying out their own fight against the fire. And Rose Walker said she's been crossing into the fire zone to bring her family food and supplies, although authorities have been reluctant to let her come up to the ranch.

Despite her family's efforts, 35 structures have burned, including the family's home, sheds, barns and work areas, Rose Walker said.

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_16023069
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It was just on TV - it's on fire now. They've lost their personal home, outbuildings, etc.

This is all just so depressing.
 
Yes, it has me worried. Winds are getting very strong here in coal creek canyon (2 down from Sunshine Canyon where the fire is).
 
roger said:
Yes, it has me worried. Winds are getting very strong here in coal creek canyon (2 down from Sunshine Canyon where the fire is).
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Things seemed to have quieted down finally though a line of smoke behind the ridgetop above Boulder was still obvious late this afternoon out here east of Lafayette.

Spent the summer in a somewhat rustic though beautiful place off Sunshine Canyon about six years ago. 14% grades going up that hill out of town.

Almost visible in this picture:

http://photos.denverpost.com/mediacenter/2010/09/boulder-wildfires/#2

You can see the driveway to it disappear in the bottom of the picture just to the right of the right-pointing arrow.
 
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