Wildfire burning near Franktown prompts 8,500 evacuations

Wildfire burning near Franktown prompts 8,500 evacuations

www.denverpost.com

A wildfire that started near Franktown this afternoon prompted the evacuation of about 8,500 people.

Anthony Valdez, deputy fire marshal with South Metro Fire Rescue, said no homes had burned but several were threatened by what's being called the Burning Tree Fire.

The fire had burned 1,000 acres by 5 p.m. but was moving away from populated areas.

There is no indication yet what started the blaze, which is moving to the southeast after moving north toward more homes earlier in the afternoon. The fire was first reported in a 911 call at about 1 p.m. in the woods near Franktown.

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Not sure if many know this is going on right now so I thought i'd let yall know!

So much going on in the world right now its hard to keep up!!
Syria Protests
Libya Conflict
Arizona Shooting
Japan Earthquake
Egypt Protests
Earthquakes to name but a few....

I hope this doesnt get any worse and my thoughts go out to all people involved or may know people in and around these areas.

What is Going on around here!!??!!??

www.denverpost.com
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This Image from 1 Hour ago...


Images from Helicopter

Originally posted by grindhouzer


Not sure if many know this is going on right now so I thought i'd let yall know!

So much going on in the world right now its hard to keep up!!
Syria Protests
Libya Conflict
Arizona Shooting
Japan Earthquake
Egypt Protests
Earthquakes to name but a few....

I hope this doesnt get any worse and my thoughts go out to all people involved or may know people in and around these areas.

What is Going on around here!!??!!??

www.denverpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Its less usual, but not unheard of to have wind driven spring fires in the rockies at lower elevations. There have been some warm days on the downwind side, and with a few days of sun, wind and dry air, all that brush can get dried out pretty fast.

I think some airtankers have been sent up there, and helicopters too

reply to post by grindhouzer


grindhouzer, it's bizarre. Every time we wake up here in the Denver area, someplace else is on fire! I guess we've had under 1/4 of the precip we're supposed to get, and since the only time alot of this high plain area gets
cleaned out is when there's a "wildfire" there is lots of fuel on the ground, no matter how much people try to clear around the properties, there is jsut too much to keep up with!

This is already turning out to be a bad year for wildfires down in Texas and Okie they have had a nasty time with several fast burners recently, add Col to that list now, and Cali fire season hasn't even started up yet.

Originally posted by Golithion
This is already turning out to be a bad year for wildfires down in Texas and Okie they have had a nasty time with several fast burners recently, add Col to that list now, and Cali fire season hasn't even started up yet.

Well it can be hard to tell. Last year Cali hardly even had a fire season. A year ago, it looked like it was going to be a bad summer for WA, ID, OR and MT, but april and may was like back to march weather, and again hardly any fires.

reply to post by firepilot


I just hope that it doesn't turn out to be another Firestorm like it was in 94 or around that. I was in that stuff and it was horrible, it literally rained mud from all the ash in the air. I remember watching a pair of pillated wood peckers get blown out of the tree from a dry lightning strike it was like those apocalyptic movies. But you are right it is a bit early, but I know if they don't get some rain down south it will not be a good thing.

reply to post by CosmosKid


When I've been out hiking and biking, or even just walking to the storein the S.E. Metro Denver/West Aurora area, there just seems to be absolutely no piece of ground that doesn;t look like it has been sitting in the Sun for the entire month of August. We really need one of them late season huge snow storms to saturate the ground. But long range forecasting looks as dry has it has been all Winter.

Miserably dry this year. Good thing there's been plenty of snow in the mountains... at least the farmers will have some runoff for their crops but I know I've lost a lot of plants in my garden this year because it's been so dry and I've just got my fingers crossed for my grass.

I have one friend that's in the evacuate area.
If we don't get some moisture it's going to be a long summer here on the front range.

Originally posted by CosmosKid
reply to post by CosmosKid

 

When I've been out hiking and biking, or even just walking to the storein the S.E. Metro Denver/West Aurora area, there just seems to be absolutely no piece of ground that doesn;t look like it has been sitting in the Sun for the entire month of August. We really need one of them late season huge snow storms to saturate the ground. But long range forecasting looks as dry has it has been all Winter.

Usually NM and CO get hit by a couple good late season really wet snowstorms, even into april and may, but not always. Those should happen, but if not, you will be having your hands full come june.

I remember in 2002 when I was flying in northern NM, and the high mountains around Taos and Angel Fire were devoid of snow by mid april, which is way too soon, and there were not really any late snowstorms. By mid may, northern NM and CO were ablaze in large devastating fires.