The Cameron Peak Fire, which started up Poudre Canyon, west of Fort Collins, started on August 13th. It just led to the evacuation of parts of Estes Park (gateway community to RMNP), while another division of the fire threatens the western outskirts of Fort Collins itself. It’s at 207,000 acres.

The East Troublesome Fire just started on October 14th and it’s at 188,000 acres. It has caused evacuations, and the deaths of an elderly couple who refused to leave their home, in the Grand Lake/Granby area of Colorado. It has almost linked with Cameron Peak and may be the cause of some evacuations in the Estes Park area.

The Mullen Fire, southwest of Laramie, is at 177,000, and crossed the state line into northern Colorado.

Additionally, there is a much smaller fire in Boulder County, Colorado called Calwood. It’s only 10,000 acres, but it took out 26 homes in short order.

Here’s the Inciweb link for the Cameron Peak Fire. The map will allow you to navigate to each of the fires mentioned above for more information.
Inciweb, Cameron Peak

Common Thread. All are “under investigation.” Essentially what that means is that we cannot look at a lightning activity map for the period preceding the smoke report and tie the origin to lightning. In some cases, it may mean investigators have located the origin of the fire, know it was human caused, but haven’t located those responsible. Here’s where I’m going with this. If you build a fire, don’t make absolutely sure it’s DEAD OUT, and are the cause of a wildfire like these—-you are only marginally better than an arsonist, because you actions (or lack thereof) are also deliberate. Bankruptcy and prison.

I have a couple friends from the car club who lives in Estes Park. She took the photos as they evacuated yesterday (Friday). This one was taken at 1:20 pm as they left.



This one was taken just an hour later at approximately 2:20 pm



My wife and I were in Fort Collins on Thursday. It was like “The End of Days.”

Yes, this fire season has extended much later than usual, and has been much more active. We have had several wildfires set new state records throughout the year for size, and the current largest fires are now burning. They are also burning and consuming fuel at record rates never before seen in the state.

The drought, high winds, rugged terrain and decades long beetle-kill timber allowed to stand (or lay) are all contributing factors. This was a catastrophe years in the making because of the beetle-kill many of us have been pointing out for a long time, and it was only a matter of time before it occurred.

As pointed out, they are almost certainly human caused, but in many cases they have difficulty establishing whether they were intentionally or accidentally caused, so I'm not hopeful that authorities will determine that.

Those pictures break my heart only because they bring back memories of when the Waldo Canyon fire suddenly broke containment lines and ran down the mountain. I had just stopped to pay a bill and was on my way to photograph the fire from a vantage point that would allow me good access while still staying outside of First Responder activity. I got a call from a friend, an elderly lady who lived alone with her cat, and she lived in the evacuation zone and just been ordered to evacuate immediately. It was hot as hell outside and I didn't leave the house prepared for this action, and my truck, in addition to no A/C, had a few issues, and was throwing a CEL code, but I agreed to come to her, but warned her that she should get out and not wait for me.

Driving Into an evacuation area was one of the most eye opening experiences I've ever had, and the walls of flames were rolling down the nearby mountain side as I got into her area.

Hot as it was, the sun was completely blotted out by the heavy smoke, and the sky was a similar color to that in the above pictures, and the smell of wood smoke was heavy in the air as the ash covered vehicles.

We were stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic for hours, and while most people maintained order and followed typical traffic laws and order, the mass panic could be both felt and seen, and I saw many vehicles drive the wrong way in the incoming lane, cut others off, drive over barrier medians, and in one case, drive down a sidewalk.

Phone & text comms went down as so many attempted to use them during the evac at the same time.

First-Responders raced to the area, but had to fight to get in through the traffic, and there weren't enough of them to manage traffic control initially.

A mass panic evacuation is not something most people are prepared for, and I'd bet the drivers pictured in the bumper-to-bumper traffic above had similar stories to tell.

Please take the time to make preparations for a mass evac mass panic event, before you find yourself in one.

Arsonists should be executed.

quote:

As pointed out, they are almost certainly human caused, but in many cases they have difficulty establishing whether they were intentionally or accidentally caused, so I'm not hopeful that authorities will determine that.

With respect to those of us serious about firearms, the use of “AD (accidental discharge)” fell out of favor several years ago—-they’re referred to as NDs.

The point of my post is that if you’re on the National Forest (or NP) in burning conditions like we’ve been living with, and cause a wildland fire, then the list of ways that could truly be described as “accidental” approaches zero.

Fortunately snow is forecast across the area starting tonight, so hopefully that will help.

In addition to everything else, it seems to me that COVID-19 was responsible for an apparent upsurge in people getting out and camping, and of course a certain percentage have no understanding of safe fire practices—assuming they even care. I have long thought, though, that deliberate arson was responsible for more fires than is recognized/admitted.

The worst is probably yet to come. Whenever I drive through Summit County and see the large stands of beetle-killed trees I can only wonder when they will burn.

And not to derail anything, but “accident” is not the antonym of “negligent.” Some accidents are due to negligence, but not all, regardless of whether they involve guns or forest fires. All “accident” means is that something happens without being intentional, and it doesn’t even have to involve human action.

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
The point of my post is that if you’re on the National Forest (or NP) in burning conditions like we’ve been living with, and cause a wildland fire, then the list of ways that could truly be described as “accidental” approaches zero.

The Carr Fire in 2018, which burned nearly 230,000 acres, including the outer neighborhoods of Redding and a massive fire tornado, was a due to a flat tire on a trailer. Sparks coming off the rim ignited the dry brush on the side of the road. While horrible and devastating, its cause was accidental and unintentional.

Accidents happen, however doing hot work without taking precautions, using machinery like a weed wacker in the middle of dry heat vegetation, setting off fireworks, not putting out a camp fire or, simply building a fire in dry conditions..those would be idiotic and willfully culpable.

I very deliberately wrote “approaches zero,” I didn’t say it was zero. Yeah, something like the sparks off a wheel can cause a wildfire. If that happened to me, I would call it in, immediately.

How much of this devastation is caused by the concept of NOT doing the controlled burns to eliminate the accumulation of all the tinder that accumulates under trees, especially trees like pine, fir, etc?

Not to mention those trees killed by insects which turn into tinder, just waiting for a spark.

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
I very deliberately wrote “approaches zero,” I didn’t say it was zero. Yeah, something like the sparks off a wheel can cause a wildfire. If that happened to me, I would call it in, immediately.

A couple of decades ago we were driving along one of those highways in Idaho that ran along a river. The Salmon river? Anyway there was a truck ahead of us on the road. That truck had a flat tire that was shredding into pieces, and then started grinding on the asphalt, sending out lots of sparks.

I finally gave up trying to get the driver's attention from behind, and at the first opportunity, passed the knothead, and stopped in front of him, and told him about the shredded tire, and all the sparks.

The asshole said he knew about it, but didn't have a spare, so he had to keep driving! I suggested that he park his rig and wait for help, which I would send to him from the next town. He didn't like it, but when I told him that if he didn't I would file charges against him, and the company for which he was driving. He pulled off the road and I stopped at the next town, just a short distance ahead, contacted the police, told them the whole story, along with the license number of the truck. They head out with lights and sirens. Saw on TV that nite that they had to call out firefighters to put out the small fires the idiot had created. At least they did not get out of control.

That was quite some time ago, and it seems the level of stupidity has only increased since then.

Praying for enough snow to finally reign in this monstrosity. So many people affected and loosing all they have. A very sad event.

The fire season gets longer, with a higher toll each year.

I have dropped on fires in Colorado in December, and I have started fighting fires in the federal system during snow storms at the beginning of the season, and even dropped during falling snow in July.

Some years ago I launched on a fire out of Grand Junction, in a C-130, only to be turned back to the parking spot becasue the fire was put out using a snow machine at a ski resort.

There are a lot of reasons fires start.

The season is not over.

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Originally posted by Elk Hunter:
How much of this devastation is caused by the concept of NOT doing the controlled burns to eliminate the accumulation of all the tinder that accumulates under trees, especially trees like pine, fir, etc?

None. The fires are not CAUSED by failure to do prescribed fire.

This is another ignorant idea bantied about by those pushing wacked-out conspiracy theories and baseless notions...but is ridiculous just the same.

Prescribed fire goes year-round, with most taking place during winter months. There is a hell of a lot of wild land out there. Far, far too much to vacuum up and make prim and proper, or to do prescribed fire and prevent wildfire. Prescribed fire does not prevent wildfire. It enhances growth. It can help eliminate disease.

Prescribed fire is done on a prescription: a written prescription that spells out temperature, relative humidity, fuel moisture, atmospheric stability and pressure, winds, dates, etc, and is very specific.

I've fought a LOT of wildfires that started as prescribed burns. A lot.

They're very hard to explain away when structures burn and lives are lost. You mean you intentionally started it? What the fuck is wrong with you? Law suit.

On the other hand, the mantra grows tiring; you didn't do a "controlled burn?" What the fuck is wrong with you? Law suit.

The only commonality in both cases is that those making the diametrically opposed arguments are often the same persons, and always equally ignorant of wildfire and fire science. I don't point that at you, just at the notion that fires are caused by not enough "controlled burns."

A controlled burn, incidentally, is an oxymoron and quite a leap from fact. While you may be able to control the start, the end is not in your control, or necessarily up to you. Hence, prescription.

We bought a portable gas firepit we can use camping. Most all of the ambience of a real fire without the danger.

quote:

Originally posted by DoctorSolo:
Arsonists should be executed.

agreed

and upon conviction - not 25 years after the fact

California did Catch & Release. Many of the arsonists several times. Hopefully Colorado & Wyoming will learn from that horrible mistake.

Well California has never been run by people with any clue as to unintended consequences

quote:

Originally posted by DoctorSolo:
Arsonists should be executed.

Slowly & painfully.

quote:

Originally posted by slosig:

quote:

Originally posted by DoctorSolo:
Arsonists should be executed.

Slowly & painfully.

With fire.