Colorado is currently fighting two massive (and growing) wildfires only 8 miles apart, yet there doesn’t seem much hope for containment.
Up in Flames
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There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight for the US’ tumultuous weather events, especially the wildfires raging across various parts of the west of the country.
The latest blazes broke out in Colorado.
Tearing through Colorado
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The first one, the Alexander Mountain Fire, kickstarted in the mountains west of Sylvan Dale Ranch before noon on Monday, had torched more than 1,800 acres in northern Colorado within less than a day.
Getting Bigger
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By Monday night, that fire had grown by about 950 more acres – compare that to a football field’s size of about 1.32 acres.
By Tuesday night, it had spread to an alarming 5,080 acres with 0% containment.
Get Out Now
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According to the Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority, voluntary evacuations had been upgraded to mandatory, as the blaze had been given national priority among the firefighting teams.
Evacuation centers have been established on both sides of the fire.
It’s Bad
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The chair of the Larimer County Board of Commissioners stated that a disaster emergency had been declared by Tuesday afternoon, as the fire had been less than 10 miles from Loveland’s eastern edge.
But Will It Help?
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According to Lori Hodges, director of the Larimer County Office of Emergency Management, “By declaring a disaster, Larimer County can activate our local Emergency Operations Plan to respond proactively to this ongoing event.”
She added: “It also allows us to access local disaster policies as well as state and federal resources as needed during this event.”
A Statewide Problem
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Right afterward, Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a statewide disaster for wildfires, which included the Alexander Mountain Fire.
Not Only People in Danger
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In addition to hordes of people fleeing, many had to relocate their animals.
More than 100 animals, including alpacas, cattle, and horses, have been given shelter at the Ranch Events Center & Complex.
Frightened Folks
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One of the residents nearby, Brendan Klover, said: “We’re evacuating a friend right now. We’re coming to get a load of goats and alpacas and llamas and stuff.”
Klover stated that evacuation assistance has been implemented across social media channels.
“That’s pretty terrifying. There’s a lot of animals and stuff up there. Yesterday we were evacuating the Sylvan Dale Ranch,” he added.
Uncontainable
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In a Tuesday afternoon news conference, Mike Smith, US Forest Service Incident Commander, stated the fire’s size is “changing so rapidly” due to the dry atmosphere and wind conditions.
All Hands Onboard
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On the ground, approximately 270 individuals were involved in firefighting efforts, while various helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft were deployed to combat and monitor the fire.
More Help Needed
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According to Smith, national firefighting teams were struggling with a “pretty significant shortage of resources.”
However, thanks to the US Forest Service prioritizing the blaze, more firefighting crews over the next 24 – 48 hours will be provided.
Cruel Nature?
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Due to the rapid movement of the wildfire, fire officials couldn’t yet provide a map of its footprint, said Smith.
Referring to the fire being 0% contained, Smith said: “We hope to see that improve but that will really depend on Mother Nature giving us a break,”
No Destroyed Buildings Yet
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Thus far, no damaged or destroyed structures or injuries have been reported in the Alexander Mountain Fire.
Another One?
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Worsening matters considerably was the outbreak of a second wildfire on Tuesday afternoon at around 1:30 p.m., a mere 8 miles south of where the Alexander Mountain Fire is burning.
This one, the Stone Canyon Fire, is blazing north of Lyons.
A Closing Gap
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The two wildfires are so close together and so large that the evacuation zone’s northern edge for the Stone Canyon Fire now extends to the southern edge of the Alexander Mountain Fire’s evacuation zone.
Growing and Growing
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Since being reported in the afternoon, the Stone Canyon Fire had evolved into an estimated 450 acres by Tuesday night.
As per county officials, unconfirmed reports claimed that this blaze had destroyed two structures, yet were unable to pinpoint the locations.
What Started This?
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Currently, the causes of both the Alexander Mountain Fire and the Stone Canyon Fire are being investigated.
“The conditions are about as bad as they can be to fight this fire,” Curtis Johnson, Boulder County Sheriff, stated in a briefing Tuesday afternoon. “I expect it will take days for us to be able to really manage it.”
Previous Fires
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The most damaging fire in Colorado history in terms of homes lost was the Marshall Fire at the end of 2021. That blaze managed to torch up more than 6,000 acres before being contained.
The Biggest One Yet
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But the state’s biggest fire was the Cameron Peak Fire of 2020, which charred 208,913 acres southwest of the current Alexander Mountain Fire.
Will the Week’s Weather Help?
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Smith and Johnson say the rest of the week’s weather predictions seem far from helpful.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures will climb into the mid- to high 90s until Friday, with a 30% chance of thunderstorms.
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