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Friday, June 14
Mountain Resource Center Open This Weekend Mountain Resource Center will be open to accept and distribute donations to fire departments this weekend, June 14 -15. Hours of operation are: Saturday: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunday: Noon until 4 p.m. If the fire gets worse, we may extend these hours. Please phone first if you plan to drop off or want to assist in transporting items to the stations. Additionally, please phone first before purchasing any items; we are in constant contact with the fire stations and keep updated lists on their needs, and have a good idea of what has been taken care of. Have a safe weekend, everyone! Janet Shown -- Hayman Fire DonationsYou are encourage to contribute to your local fire department. Almost all mountain fire departments are volunteer and need equipment. For other needs, consider supporting the Mountain Resource Center which has been helping folks in our area for more than a decade. Soozee and her husband John, from the Pinechat room, have also set up their own site to collect money and needed supplies. You can find it by clicking here. -- Early Damage Observation In Dougco, Hayman Fire RELEASE DATE:06/14/02 RELEASE TIME: 11:00 a.m. CASE NUMBER: N/A ***This Damage Assessment is Preliminary Information Only. This is Not Complete and Could Change at Any Time*** NARRATIVE: DOUGLAS COUNTY, CO – Late yesterday, a Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy and a State Parks Ranger conducted an informal damage assessment in the evacuation area of the Douglas County forest area. They started at the north near Rampart Range Road at Highway 67, moving south along Hwy. 67 toward the Teller County line. They only located three major structures that had severe fire damage. Both officers are familiar with the area and feel that they have checked most of the subdivisions and surrounding areas. The addresses of the three damaged structures are: · 10001 S. Highway 67 · 10011 S. Highway 67 · 10087 S. Highway 67 Owners or residents at the above addresses can call Victim Advocate Patty Moschner, 303-660-7505 for more information. Per the two officers, firefighter efforts have been very successful in the areas of Nighthawk, Sprucewood, Sugar Creek, Deckers, Trumbull, Rainbow Falls Park North, Westcreek, Trout Creek Ranch, and Thunder Butte (near Westcreek). Assessment on 9 J Road has not been possible, as the area is still very dangerous. This is not an official damage assessment report, but an observation update, and is preliminary information only. No other information about structures damaged or threatened is available at this time. -- Letter From Denver MayorJune 14, 2002 Dear Friends: Many of you have seen the media reports on the fires that are presently going on in Colorado and have inquired as to the impacts these would have on your travels to Denver and to Colorado. I want to reassure you that the City of Denver is in no way under any threat from these fires. While a slight haze does persist over the City, the closest fire is over more than 40 miles away from the City of Denver and is barely noticeable in downtown. There is no possible way that the fire can spread to our City. Neither the convention center nor the Denver Internatioinal Airport has seen any impact from the fire nor have any of Denver’s hotels been impacted. Downtown Denver is still vibrant as ever. Stores, restaurants, brew pubs, theaters and other amenities are still open for business and there is absolutely no threat of them shutting down. There have been no evacuations in the City of Denver and there is no threat of evacuations in the City of Denver. Colorado is a huge state, comprising 66 million acres with 22 million acres of forestland. Less than 150,000 acres are being consumed in the fires, far less than 1 percent of the state. All major roads and highways in Colorado are open, including I-70 through the heart of Glenwood Springs, the site of one of the fires. 37 of 40 state parks and all but one of Colorado’s national parks and monuments are open. Make no mistake, we are not trying to minimize the seriousness of the fires in our state and we need to respond to these fires appropriately and also assist those that have lost homes and suffered in other ways as a result of these fires. But it’s important when looking at news coverage of the wildfires to realize that reporters are speaking about Denver as a reference point, not an actual target of the fires. Metro Denver is a huge seven-county area, encompassing 3,600 square miles with a population of 2.4 million people. Some of the far southwestern suburbs in the foothills are being impacted by the wildfires and there have been home evacuations there as a precaution. However, these impacted communities are 35 miles from downtown Denver. Some points of reference: Tourism in Colorado is many things. It is fishing, hiking, mountain biking and boating. It is music and food festivals and other summer activities at Colorado’s Ski Resorts. It is enjoying a baseball or soccer game. It is going to a zoo, an amusement park, a museum, theater or symphony performance. My point is that while there is a ban on campfires, tourism in Colorado offers diversity of activities that shouldn’t require you to consider canceling your vacation to Colorado. · The Hayman Fire is the closest to Denver and it is 40 miles from downtown. While smoke from the fire is sometimes visible in Denver, health officials have assured us that it does not present any serious health hazards. All Denver airports and roads open and there have been no closures in the city related to the fire. There is a convention of 7,000 people (Quest: J.D. Edwards Users Group) going on in Denver that has not been impacted in any way by the fires. · The fires have not impacted much of the rest of Colorado. Rocky Mountain National Park (the state's most visited attraction) is more than 100 miles from the closest fire. This is approximately the distance between New York and Philadelphia. · The Hayman fire is the largest in Colorado’s history. However, to put it in perspective, the 1988 Yellowstone fire was ten times larger consuming 1.5 million acres compared to the 100-150,000 acres currently affected in Colorado. Again, we look forward to your visit to our City and our State. For more information on visiting Denver, please visit the Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau web site at http://www.denver.org/ or the Colorado State Tourism Office at http://www.colorado.com Yours truly, Wellington E. Webb Mayor -- Dougco Sheriff's Office News ReleaseWe would like to thank local residents for their generosity in donating food, drink, and supplies to the firefighters pouring into the area as well as to evacuated citizens. Residents have been so generous, in fact, that the Incident Command Post and the evacuation center at Castle Rock Middle School have become overwhelmed with supplies. People wanting to donate food and other items are asked to take them to: Task Force of Douglas County 416 Jerry Street Castle Rock, CO 80104 Phone: (303) 688-1114 Those wanting to make financial donations are asked to contribute to the Hayman Animal Relief Fund at any Wells Fargo Bank. On a less positive note, a problem confounding law enforcement officers protecting the evacuation area and providing security at the U.S. Forest Service Incident Command Post is news reporters posing as firefighters to gain access to restricted areas. Douglas County Sheriff's Lieutenant Kim Castellano, who is responsible for security at the Command Post, warns that reporters and photographers passing themselves off as firefighters to gain access to restricted areas will be arrested. -- -- A Report from the Trumbull Relief EffortFrom: Laura James Subject: Hayman Fire Hi all! Just wanted to tell you about my 'interesting' day Wednesday! Early Wednesday morning, I was talking to a group of local people about the fire. One of them was organizing donations for the firefighters and asked me to call the Trumbull Fire Department and see if they needed anything. Trumbull is a very small volunteer fire department down near Deckers in the heart of the fire. After several phone calls I obtained the number to the fire station and got to talk to the Chief. When I asked if they needed anything, the first response was silence. Then he asked, "Are you serious?" "Sure," I said, "What do you guys need?" I found out from him that they were in pretty bad shape. They had been surrounded by the fire and had just gotten electricity and water back up that morning. Their base radio was dead because it needed a new power converter. Their phone/fax had gone out, the bay doors on their station were not working, their 'good' truck had no siren and no speakers and they were short on food, water and supplies. I got a list from him and told the person coordinating the donations what the predicament was. She arranged for 50 cases of water and a driver and I went to work on the rest of the list. I found the power supply courtesy of a local electric company. They sent a driver down to town for me, picked it up and also tracked down some special light bulbs. We found someone to donate the phone/fax machine and donations of food and supplies were pouring in. I picked up the radio part and met the driver at the Elk Creek fire station. He was another volunteer that offered his time and his truck. Two other volunteers helped us load the 50 cases of water and some of the supplies on the list. I then called the Chief, told him we had some of his stuff and he arranged for our clearance through the roadblocks. We were off to the fire! The first roadblock was manned by one sheriff and one swat team member. This guy walks up and says, "Ok, I'll need two forms of ID, your birth certificates...." I laughed and told him, "Darn, I forgot to bring my first born with me!" He laughed and waved us through, the word had already reached them. We passed two more checkpoints, each manned by very alert officials. Alone on the road, protecting the public. A few miles past the last checkpoint, we started seeing occasional smoking hot spots. As we progressed, we could see a finger of the fire smoking off to our left. Pretty soon, we were passing through a fire blasted wasteland. Black smoking sticks of trees surrounded by hot gray ash. Occasional plumes of smoke rose up to meet the gray pall overhead. Certain landmarks stood out, however. A house, surrounded by blackened forest, the barn completely burned to the ground. Black ground right up to the foundation, yet the house was intact. Complete to the flowers on the front porch. A testament to the firefighters working to save structures, though the rest of the fire was beyond fighting. As we progressed, we could see a campground here and there, intact, though the forest around was not only smoking, but still aflame! We began to see fire on the ground and low in the trees, isolated stumps still flaming. At one point the fire was right down to the road on either side of us, but tame and low, not crowning. We passed the elite Wigwam Club, a haven for the rich fly fisherman. Some green left here, buildings all looking good, but the quality water here will not be the same for a good long while I think. One last roadblock as we round the corner at Deckers and proceed into Trumbull. There are occasional firefighters along the road and a group gathered at Deckers, but were just glanced at as we passed, and they resumed the business at hand. When we arrived at the fire station, there were five guys there. They looked at us in disbelief and then gave us a hearty welcome and started helping us unload the supplies. They were all covered in soot, unshaven and exhausted, but had big smiles and did lots of joking around. Two of them (twins) looked to be no older than about 20. When I took the radio part to the Chief, I thought he was going to cry. He kept saying, "I just don't believe you guys did all this!" As we spoke, we found that they had been told to leave on Sunday when the fire blew up around them. They refused. They told us that they could not leave their homes and their neighbor's homes. They would leave when the fire station was on fire and not before. The Chief (by the name of Chief Jim Eagle... really, I swear!) said that he did not feel he could tell his neighbors to evacuate and them look them in the eye if he left and let their houses burn. The night before they had worked hard to save 6 structures. They saved 5 and only left when the fire was hot enough to melt the glasses off his face and the Velcro off his Nomex fire pants. They cut their hoses and ran. The 6th structure burned to the ground. They were full of regret for that last structure, for they knew the man who lived there. The Nomex shirts that they wear are costly and, being volunteers, they either have to provide their own gear or get what's left after the larger fire departments get their due. Chief Jim Eagle was wearing a rather threadbare version of this shirt that was five years old. He had just bought a new shirt with his own money. One of the other fireman had his shirt stolen from the firehouse and was wearing Jim's new shirt. When we were told this, he grinned and raised his sooty arm, took a whiff and laughingly said, "You can have it back, it don't smell too bad!" We finished unloading and headed back into Conifer. Passing the same scenery on the way out, little changed except for one arm of the fire was slightly larger than before. We drove back towards Elk Creek fire station and saw a smaller, much closer, black plume of smoke in the sky. We were passed by engines rushing to put out this brand new structure fire, close to our neighborhood. Seems a fire bug set fire to a cabin filled with ammunition! These fire fighters risked their lives yet again and put it out in short order. Needless to say, I was pretty overwhelmed by this time, but ran home, checked messages, thanked my lucky stars that the kids were down in town with their dad and drove to the Mountain Resource Center to help more volunteers unload and sort trucks of supplies coming in for distribution. These were people from the community, some familiar faces and many I had never seen before. We unloaded and sorted tons of supplies. People had donated refrigerators, food, band-aids, bandanas, sunscreen, and moleskin. You name it, it was there. We split the load into piles for each small fire department. Drivers volunteered their vehicles and time to take these to the fire departments. Jim, the driver that I had gone with before, ran over to Safeway and bought a dozen rib eye steaks for Trumbull, we also picked up some cigarettes and a case of beer and more light bulbs. This time Soozee came with us, and we were to meet Jova, a mechanic, at Trumbull. He was to fix their bay doors and look at the truck. We were recognized by the checkpoints this time and cheerily waved on through. Soozee was silenced when we came upon the burn. The finger of the fire we had passed before had indeed grown a little larger since our last passing. We arrived almost at dark, and this time the chief was there, as well as his wife (a nurse and fellow firefighter). She was little scrap of a gal from Tennessee, covered in soot, red bandana on her head. She showed us their house which was right next to the fire station. It was built around the turn of the century and had some original glass panes and the original fireplace of local rock. She gave Soozee and I the tour, and a seat and wanted to pay us for the cigarettes we had brought earlier. She told us a little about the life up there and some stories of neighbors and fighting fires. She was called out the previous morning, after only 2 hours of sleep, to pronounce dead a man who had come to look at the fire and spend time in his friends cabin. He had died in his sleep. She spent the rest of her day fighting fires. Meanwhile, the guys were fixing the doors, having a beer, and talking. We got to wave to some trucks full of firemen, reinforcements from California just in. We took some pictures and joshed with a sheriff about his cigarette and looked through binoculars at the smoke and flames coming down on the next hill. After thanks, hugs, invitations to visit and promises of some more equipment, we finally left. It was after dark and we were driving back through the fire. This was indescribable. At first I thought of campfires.. then we would round a corner to see a tree in full blaze. Amazing and frightening and surreal. We proceeded to North Fork fire department, a medium sized department who needed Jova to look at a truck. We were scrutinized by the guys at a checkpoint there (with much apology, but they had to follow protocol) and allowed in. After a brief stay there, some chat and thanks and more requests, we were on our way home. Jova driving back through the fire to his home in Elizabeth. Smoke was thick on the road, like fog, permeating the cab of the truck. As we passed that arm of the fire, we could see flame at the base of the smoke.. laid down for the night, but it had grown a little more since the last time.... Sorry for the long email, but I had to write this down. It is all true. Just a note to you who care about me: They never would have let me in if we were in significant danger. I feel this is a testament to the brave people and the generous hearts of this community. By the way.. how was your day?? Love to all, Laura (Mtnmed in the chat room) -- Dougco Sheriff's Office to Coordinate Temporary Resident Visit in Evacuated Area After careful coordination with the United States Forest Service, Sheriff Steve Zotos is announcing that later this Friday morning, 06/14/02, members of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office will escort residents from the following evacuated areas, temporarily back to their homes, to address personal needs. Those areas are: Residential areas north of the fire area, bordered by S. Platte River Road on the west, Sugar Creek Rd. on the south and east, and Pine Creek Rd. (Nighthawk) at Hwy. 67 on the north, including the sub areas of: · Moon Ridge · Sprucewood · Sugar Creek Rd. · Scraggy View · Pine Creek Rd. · Nighthawk Hill * S. Platte River Rd. from Pine Creek Rd. to Sugar Creek Rd. Due to safety concerns, no person will be allowed south of Sugar Creek Rd. at Hwy. 67. To protect all residents and their property, all residents wishing to utilize this opportunity to temporarily return home must meet the following criteria: * Arrive at a staging area, located at Rampart Range Rd. and Hwy. 67, no later than 9:30 a.m. * All residents will be escorted in to the above listed areas in one group, leaving the staging area at 10:00 a.m., and returning in one group at 12:30 p.m. * Only residents of the above areas will be allowed to go in * All responding residents must have identification that verifies them as a resident -- "This is like Hi Meadow on steroids." -- Fire information officer Ron JablonskiRead the story in the online Denver Post.com - Intensified Assault The Denver Channel - Highway 285 Arsonist May Have Set Other Fires Rocky Mountain News: Firefighters band together near Trumble Slide Shows, Video, And Latest Fire News Is On TheDenverChannel.com FIRE CHAT is going on in our Pinechat room.
-- Thursday, June 13NATIONAL WESTERN OFFERS SPACE FOR EVACUATED CATTLE, HORSESDENVER -- The Mayor's Office today spoke with Pat Grant at the National "We appreciate the National Western stepping up to help those who need space -- OWENS: "FEMA ADVANCE OF $20 MILLION CRITICAL TO STATE FIRE FIGHTING EFFORT"(DENVER) - Governor Bill Owens today announced that the Federal Emergency "The FEMA advance of $20 million is critical to our state firefighting FEMA director Joe Allbaugh made the decision to advance the federal funds So far this year, Colorado has received 11 fire management grants from FEMA. "I am very grateful for the timely response FEMA director Joe Allbaugh has FEMA assistance covers 75 percent of the eligible firefighting costs. -- Commissioners Cancel 2002 Festival of the West Cancellation means no fireworks at the The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners and the Festival of the The festival is being canceled due to: As a result, there will be no Festival activities this year. This "We deeply regret any inconvenience this will cause the nearly 30,000 Organizers will reevaluate construction progress in the spring of 2003 -- Hayman Fire Starter SoughtLaw Enforcement Agencies Unite, Seek Information on Suspect Who Started Hayman Fire DOUGLAS COUNTY, CO – In a cooperative effort to locate the person(s) responsible for starting the Hayman Fire, the Park County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Teller County Sheriff’s Office, and El Paso County Sheriff’s Office are requesting public assistance. Anyone with information about the person(s) responsible for starting the fire is asked to call the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Major Case Tip Line at 303-660-7579. Callers are encouraged to leave their name and contact information on the tip line so an investigator can follow up with them if needed. Public assistance is very appreciated. -- YMCA Camp Shadybrook CancelledYMCA Camp Shady Brook Summer Season Canceled For more than 50 years, YMCA Camp Shady Brook has provided thousand of youth and teens with quality programs and unforgettable memories. The past few weeks have been extremely difficult for our camp alumni, campers, parents and staff. After the Schoonover Fire, the YMCA had the difficult task of canceling the first three weeks of camp and cutting back the number of campers in the remaining sessions. We made a commitment to reopen camp on June 30, and were in the process Here is what we know: l The Hayman Fire is the largest wild fire in Colorado's history, l Official estimates on containing the fire range from 30 to 90 l The Hayman Fire burned through the camp property. As of In light of these facts we do not believe that we can effectively Due to the fire damage and because of our concern for the safety and YMCA staff is diligently working to notify the 1,500 campers of the Over the next 11 months YMCA volunteers and staff are committed to Thomas "Jay" Lowden -- Sorry there is not more info on the fire to pass along but, incredibly, just after promising more current updates on the fire and more current maps, I checked the media update line, maintained by the Forest Service, at 5:15 p.m. and it still had the report from 6:30 A.M. on it. -- Satellite Image of Colorado's Hayman Fire Released by Space ImagingDENVER, June 13, 2002 - Space Imaging, the world's leading provider of Earth imagery and related services to commercial and government markets, today released a satellite image of the Hayman Fire burning 35 miles south of Denver, Colorado. The image was taken by Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite on June 12. The imagery is being provided at no charge to the media and may be used in print, broadcast and web. The image provides an overview of the burned area that may be useful in reporting on this story from a different perspective. Mandatory photo credit must be given to "Space Imaging." The 300 dpi resolution images have been save as natural color and enhanced Captioning material: These reduced resolution satellite images show an overview of the Hayman In the natural color image, the gray-green area underneath the white smoke According to the U.S. Forest Service, when this image was taken, the fire The 1600-pound IKONOS satellite travels 423 miles above the Earth's surface -- Hayman Fire Update - North EndFire still holding about 7 miles south of Roxborough & 10 miles west/southwest of Perry Park. Dougco is "relaxing their requests" for voluntary evacuations in the following areas. People who have removed large animals & livestock should NOT bring them back as the situation could change. These are the areas where Dougco is relaxing its voluntary evacuation: Roxborough Park Roxborough Village Indian Creek Ranch Jackson creek east of forest boundary Madge Gulch area Shamballah Hidden Valley Oak Valley Sedalia Perry Park -- Community Meetings Tonight RE: HAYMAN FIRE RELEASE DATE: 06-13-02 RELEASE TIME: 11:50 a.m. WHAT: COMMUNITY MEETINGS PLANNED NARRATIVE: DOUGLAS COUNTY, CO -- A coordinated effort is underway to get up-to-date fire information to displaced citizens and the community at large. Starting tonight at 7:00 p.m., and every night thereafter at 7:00 p.m. as long as the situation warrants, representatives from the U.S. Forest Service and the Jefferson and Douglas County Sheriff's Offices will brief the public at two key evacuation points. The briefings will occur simultaneously at: Castle Rock Middle School, 2575 Meadows Blvd., for Douglas County residents Forest Service personnel will address fire-related issues. Law enforcement officials will address evacuation and road closure-related issues. This briefing is in addition to regularly scheduled evacuee briefings at all evacuation points in Douglas and Jefferson Counties, as well as the evacuation center at Woodland Park High School. -- Teens Start Large Bonfire In Summit CountySummit County Sheriff's Office Release Within days of Governor Owens issuing a state wide fire ban and Sheriff Morales implementing one here in Summit County on April 24th, last night near the South Fork of the Swan River at approximately midnight, two Summit County Sheriff's Officers discovered 10 teenagers seated around a bonfire. The fire was approximately 6 feet wide with flames at least 5 feet high. No fire pit or fire ring was established. Fire pits and fire rings can be used as a minimal safety precaution in an effort to create some sort of fire containment area. As officers were interviewing the teenagers, airborn ash and embers reached the grass and tree line in the surrounding area, clearly imposing threat of a wild fire. This obvious blatant act of defiance by the teens required the Red, White & Blue Fire Department to use over 200 gallons of water to completely extinguish the fire. One of the teenagers, who is a couple weeks shy of his 18th birthday, confessed to starting the bonfire. While still on scene the officers were informed that Red, White & Blue was called to the same area earlier in the day to extinguish a smoldering unattended campfire from the night before. It is unknown at this time if the two incidents were ignited by the same person/s. The offender of last night's fire was charged with Reckless Endangerment. Because of the severity of the act, this case has been forwarded to the District Attorney's Office for prosecution. The teenagers were released to the custody of their parents. -- Chatfield State Park offers fire evacuees RV, camper parkingDENVER-Chatfield State Park will offer evacuees of the Hayman Fire free RV "We hope to accommodate around 75 campers and RVs for people dislocated by --
Thanks for the Donations and Support We would like to thank everyone for their donations and support for the Elk Creek, Platte Canyon, Indian Hills, Inter Canyon, North Fork and Trumble Fire Departments. The 285 Corridor Disaster Response Team, Inc. was created to assist these departments and the residents of these district during a disaster. We have been helping these departments with their needs during this fire. At this time, we are not seeking donations of food or supplies, but this changes frequently. If you wish to donate food or supplies, please call 303-838-1929 and we will have updated requests. We are a 501c3 tax exempt organization and we are taking cash donations for distribution to the fire departments, evacuees or victims of the Hayman Fire. If you wish to donate cash, you can call 303-838-1929 for further instructions or you can mail a check to P.O. Box 1107, Conifer, Colorado 80433. The check should be made payable to 285CDRT-Hayman. If you wish to specify who is to receive the donation, please put that on the memo line of the check. We will be having a general meeting in the next fews weeks so watch for the announcement. 285 Corridor Disaster response Team, Inc. -- Info From Morning Morning Briefingthis is from the 9 a.m. briefing at the northern command info from Kathy Hardy, US Forest Service --still 90,000 acres -- -- Wednesday, June 12Fire UpdatesHAYMAN FIRE: Started: Saturday, about 55 miles southwest of Denver in the Size: 90,000 acres. Containment: 5 percent. Evacuations: 5,430 people. Damage: At least 21 homes destroyed. On Scene: About 450 firefighters, requested 1,800 more. Cause: Human caused, possibly an illegal campfire. Officials Cost: Unknown. COAL SEAM FIRE: Started: Saturday, near Glenwood Springs. Size: 10,600 acres. Containment: 5 percent. Evacuations: About 3,000 people evacuated during the weekend, Damage: 40 structures lost, including 28 homes destroyed. Three On Scene: About 700 personnel working the fire, also retardant Cause: A long-smoldering underground coal fire burst to the Cost: At least $800,000 for firefighting, $4.5 million in home MIRACLE COMPLEX: Two fires, Long Canyon, Dierich Total on Scene: About 200 firefighters on scene, several air Total Cost: $398,000. LONG CANYON FIRE: Started: Saturday in a remote area about 20 miles northwest of Size: 1,800 acres. Containment: 20 percent contained. Evacuations: None. Damage: No structures lost. Cause: Still under investigation but authorities believe it was DIERICH FIRE: Started: Sunday southwest of Glade Park about 15 miles southwest Size: 1,800 acres. Containment: 60 percent. Evacuations: Only about 60 homes of 230 remained evacuated. Damage: No structures lost. Cause: Human caused, under investigation. MISSIONARY RIDGE: Started: Sunday about 10 miles north of Durango. Size: 9,300 acres. Containment: Less than 10 percent. Evacuations: Residents in small subdivision near where fire Damage: One historic cabin burned. On Scene: 381 firefighters. Cause: Unknown. Cost: Unknown. LYTLE FIRE: Started: Friday on the Fort Carson Military Reservation. Size: 3,000 acres Containment: 100 percent controlled. Evacuations: None. Damage: None. On Scene: Some crews monitoring hot spots. Cause: Training munitions. Cost: Unknown. BANTY FIRE: Started: Sunday 10 miles southwest of Rangely on Bureau of Land Size: 300 acres. Containment: 100 percent. Evacuations: About 15 homes, allowed back Monday. Damage: One structure lost. On Scene: Fewer than 20 firefighters monitoring. Cause: Power line. Cost: Unknown. TRINIDAD COMPLEX: Two fires, Springer and James John Total on Scene: About 286 firefighters on scene. Total Cost: $1.89 million. SPRINGER FIRE: Started: June 2, near Trinidad. Size: 26,800 acres. Containment: 75 percent. Evacuations: None. Damage: None. Cause: Lightning. JAMES JOHN FIRE: Started: June 2, near Trinidad. Size: 5,695 acres. Containment: 100 controlled. Damage: One structure damaged. Cause: Lightning. -- -- -- Vail Cancels Fireworks(Vail)-In a joint decision by the Town of Vail, the U.S. Forest Service, Vail Resorts, Inc., Vail Valley Chamber and Tourism Bureau and the Town of Vail, the fireworks display scheduled for 9:45 p.m. July 4th at Golden Peak has been cancelled, due extreme hot and dry weather conditions. "The risk of fire, even from sparklers and smoke bombs, is simply too great to allow using them anywhere near the forest," said Vail Fire Chief Gulick. "Plus, the personnel and equipment usually available for such a fireworks display has been spread to thin due to fires burning within the state and the forecast for continued dry weather." The Town of Vail will not tolerate any private fireworks and the White River National Forest also has fire restrictions that will be enforced, according to Gulick. While other mountain communities have followed suit in canceling fireworks displays, the Town of Avon will not be affected by this decision, because the fireworks will be discharged over Nottingham Lake. The festivities in Vail and LionsHead Villages for the annual Vail America Days celebration will go on as scheduled July 3-6, with the exception of the fireworks display. People are encouraged to come out and enjoy the free entertainment in town including live bands, the annual parade and sidewalk sales. Similar weather conditions caused the cancellation of Vail's fireworks display in 1998. -- Total Fire Ban In Rocky Mountain National ParkRocky Mountain National Park Announces Total Fire Ban Due to the continued extreme fire danger and current level of fire activity in the State of Colorado, Acting Superintendent Larry Frederick has announced a ban on all fires within Rocky Mountain National Park. The restrictions are effective beginning Wednesday, June 12, at 12:00 p.m. and will remain in effect until further notice. Campfires, including charcoal briquette fires, are not permitted anywhere within the park. However, petroleum fueled stoves and grills will still be permitted in designated backcountry campsites, as well as developed campgrounds and picnic areas. Smoking is also prohibited, except within enclosed vehicles, parking lots or developed areas that are cleared of all flammable materials for at least three feet in diameter. Visitors are reminded to properly extinguish all lighted smoking materials in ashtrays. Fireworks are always prohibited within the park. Frederick stated, "In cooperation with local, state and other federal agencies, we must take these precautions to ensure the safety of our neighbors, local communities, park visitors and resources." Persons violating the ban can be criminally charged and held civilly liable for all fire suppression costs. The park and all facilities remain open. For further information on fire conditions in the park, please contact the information office at 970-586-1206 or check www.nps.gov/romo. -- No Call List and Reverse 911Late Tuesday evening, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office received a call from a citizen who reported that they heard a local radio show host announce that citizens who had requested their phone numbers be listed on the Colorado solicitor "do not call list", would not get Emergency Phone Network (EPN) updates in the event of an evacuation. After conferring with "Intrado", the company behind the EPN warning system, we have verified that this is information is not true. The only devices or services that will affect the EPN system are the "telezapper" type add-on instrument or the "Qwest" solicitor blocking service. Residents using those devices or services may not receive EPN warning updates. Residents in possible evacuation areas are encouraged to discontinue use of these devices or services until the fire danger has subsided. -- Pinechat Team Delivers The GoodsMany regulars in the Pinecam Chat room (Pinechat) got together with the Mountain Resource Center Tuesday and solicited donations for the Elk Creek and North Fork Fire Departments from others in the chat room. Total raised: over $2,200 in just a few short hours.. The money was used to buy needed supplies for our volunteer firefighters. Click on this link for the story and pictures. Way to go! -- Tuesday, June 11-- Dougco Fire UpdateThis afternoon, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office launched an aircraft to survey the north and east flanks of the Hayman fire with specific interest in how the fire's location and movement might impact potential evacuations in the Roxborough, Sedalia, and Perry Park areas. The following was found: The north flank had burned to approximately Sugar Creek Road and Platte River Road, or approximately 7 miles south-southwest of Roxborough Park. Since no containment exists on these flanks, and since a simple shift in the wind could re-intensify the fire and drive it back toward the affected communities, the decision was made to maintain the earlier suggestion that residents able to do so evacuate voluntarily. Telephone problems resulted in the previously published displaced animal-related telephone numbers changing several times today. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. The correct and current numbers are: For those needing to temporarily board large or farm animals - 720-733-6972 Well-intentioned firefighters from surrounding jurisdictions have been sending fire apparatus to assist in the firefighting effort. Fire incident commanders stress that ample resources have been committed to the fire, and additional apparatus is not needed unless specifically requested by the incident commanders. In an ongoing effort to make fire-related information more accessible to the general public, several enhancements have been made to the Douglas County and Sheriff's Office web sites. Road closure information, evacuation updates, real-time press releases, and links to Forest Service fire information sites are currently available at www.douglas.co.us/sheriff/. More enhancements to this site, including scheduled periodic updates, are expected in the coming day or two. -- Jeffco Campsites Opened For EvacueesThe City of Lakewood opened its campsites in Bear Creek Lake Park, free of Bear Creek Lake Park is located at 15600 West Morrison Rd. in Lakewood. The THIS IS ON A FIRST-COME FIRST-SERVE BASIS FOR MANDATORY EVACUEES ONLY. The park facilities include showers, bathrooms, and a limited number of -- U.S. Attorney To Vigorously Prosecute Those Who Start Fires On Federal LandDENVER - John Suthers, United States Attorney for the District of "The fire danger in Colorado is extreme. The United States Forest "Given the extreme fire danger that now exists within the State of "The United States Attorney's Office will also seek to recover the -- Indian Hills Fireworks CancelledThe Indian Hills Volunteer Fire Depatment has made a decision to cancel the annual aerial fire works display because of the extremely dry conditions. -- --
Update on Donation Needs As of 4 p.m. on Tuesday the 11th, most fire depts. we've talked to have said they are doing fine with food and supplies. However, North Fork FD needs the following items: dinner for tomorrow night for 60 people (preferably from a restaurant) They have been very touched by the generosity of everyone. So have we here at the Mountain Resource Center! Today volunteers from the entire mountain and metro area have donated about 6 truckloads of food, water, and supplies, and have delivered them to different fire stations. They've also delivered snacks and water to sherrif's depts. and are trying to see if local police need anything. We're expecting much more this evening and tomorrow. Thanks to everyone for spreading the word and contributing from your hearts! If you know someone from the mountain area who needs assistance in this crisis, please let us know. MRC provides family advocacy and crisis services - including resource information and linkages to helping resources - for people in need. If we can't provide the help folks need, we will work hard to direct them to appropriate sources. MRC is accepting applications for volunteers for family crisis advocacy work (long-term) and to help transport food and supplies to the fire depts (short-term as needed). Thanks, all! Janet Shown -- -- Florissant Fossil Beds ClosureFire Danger Prompts Closure of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument Superintendent Jean Rodeck today announced the closure of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monumnet as a precautionary measure in response to high fire danger and the Hayman fire burning southwest of Denver. The monument is not currently within the evacuation zone, but is within three miles of it. Florissant Fossil Beds is located 35 miles west of Colorado Springs, and 2 miles south of the town of Florissant. The monument encompasses nearly 6,000 acres which contain huge petrified redwoods and detailed fossils of ancient insects and plants. The monument, which was established in 1969, draws approximately 80,000 visitors annually. Normal operating hours during the summer season are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The monument will resume normal operations when conditions warrant it. For futher information call (719) 748-3253. -- Qwest Services For Wildfire EvacueesQwest customers affected by Colorado wildfires can re-establish phone connections at no cost for the duration of the emergency. Qwest has offered the following services: Call Forwarding, Voice Messaging Mailbox, Transfer of Service Residential customers may call 800-298-8755 for assistance. The repair number for lines that are out of service is 1-800-244-1111. -- Flying G UpdateFlying ‘G’ Ranch Girl Scout Camp not burned by Hayman Fire Channel 9 Report In Error Girl Scouts - Mile Hi Council received official word from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department this morning that our Flying ‘G’ Ranch camp near Deckers was not burned by the Hayman Fire yesterday. All structures, including the platform tents, are intact. “We are so relieved to hear that Flying ‘G’ is still standing,” said Jean C. Jones, president/CEO of Mile Hi Council. “Thousands of former Girl Scouts from all over the country have wonderful memories of camping at Flying ‘G.’ Mile Hi Council cancelled the first session of camp at Flying ‘G’ before girls arrived for camp on Sunday, June 9. We are also canceling the June 9-15 sessions at Flying ‘G’. We will make a determination about the remainder of the camp season by Tuesday, June 18. At our other resident camp, Tomahawk Ranch, near Bailey, camp is in session and programs are running according to plans. -- Suspect Setting Fires Along Highway 285From http://www.thedenverchannel.com/den/news/stories/news-150693220020611-120626.html Posted: 11:06 a.m. MDT June 11, 2002 Updated: 11:46 a.m. MDT June 11, 2002 DENVER -- The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department asked residents Tuesday morning to help identify a suspect who is intentionally starting fires along Highway 285. On Tuesday morning at about 10 a.m., there were three spot fires set within minutes of each other along Highway 285, between Bailey and Morrison, officials said. Investigators are in the area and are asking the public to be on the lookout for a suspicious vehicle or a suspicious person. If you have any information that could be helpful to investigators, you are asked to contact the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. -- -- Fire AlertSomeone is INTENTIONALLY setting fires along US 285 in Jefferson County. Three small spot fires have been set this morning. Fortunately none have blown up into anything. Jefferson County is asking anyone who sees anything suspicious to call dispatch. --
Update on Monetary Donations through Mountain Resource Center At his time, Mountain Resource Center has received all the funds it can process for donations for firefighters of evacuees through the Salvation Army. Please do not send donations to MRC for the Salvation Army. You may phone MRC at 303-838-7552 for information on donating directly to the fire departments, or you may make donations to the genereal funds for the Salvation Army. You may also wish to phone the Red Cross or the 285 Corridor Response Team about donating for specific sites or for evacuees. The 285 Corridor Response Team is also coordinating volunteer efforts. We are still accepting supplies for firefighters and can coordinate information about folks who need or are willing to provide housing, space for pets and livestock, or who can assist in helping evacuees in other ways. Thanks to all of you for the way you're working to help this community. Our phones are ringing off the hook, so we know how many of you want to contribute! Please be patient with us as we try to get to the different phone calls; many of our staff and volunteers are at the shelters or making runs to the fire depts. We have a need for volunteers to help answer phones tomorrow and the rest of the week. Thanks again Janet Shown -- Dougco Displaced Animals UpdateDISPLACED ANIMAL UPDATE – Many resources still exist to temporarily board large and small animals. People needing to temporarily board a large animal or farm animal should call 720-733-6972 (this number was accidentally transposed in an earlier release). People needing to temporarily board small animals (dogs/cats) should contact the Pike’s Peak Humane Society’s Buddy Center in Castle Rock at 303-435-9051. People in need of emergency animal evacuation assistance should call the Emergency Operations Center at 303-814-7070. People are encouraged to pick up their animals from temporary boarding facilities as soon as possible so as to allow others to use these temporary facilities. In the past two days, about 1,000 animals have been evacuated. About 400 animals, including horses, llamas, camels, a zebra, goats, sheep, and chickens are currently being boarded. We would like to publicly thank the Parker-Elbert Riding Club (PERC) and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Mounted Patrol for their tireless volunteer work in evacuating and caring for displaced animals. Anyone wishing to contribute funds toward emergency animal boarding and care can stop by ANY Wells Fargo Bank and donate to the Hayman Fire Animal Relief Fund. Donations of grass hay are still needed at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Call 720-733-6972 to make arrangements. -- -- Douglas County Evacuation Update8:00 a.m. from Dougco Sheriff's Office: Although the Hayman fire did not advance much overnight, conditions today are right for the fire to once again advance rapidly and unpredictably. The sheriff's office is contacting Neighborhood Watch block captains to augment its emergency notification capability. Evacuation notices for affected neighborhoods have been loaded into the EPN emergency telephone notification system to allow for immediate notification of citizens in the event of an evacuation order. While NO NEW EVACUATION ORDERS HAVE BEEN ISSUED, the sheriff's office is highly encouraging residents of all urban-wildland interface areas between Perry Park (on the south) and Roxborough Village (on the north) - to include Sedalia, Indian Creek Ranch, Oak Valley and surrounding areas -- to give serious consideration to the idea of leaving now. If the fire advances quickly toward a residential area, an emergency evacuation order may not allow enough time for people to leave in an orderly manner, especially given inevitable traffic congestion. Residents are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to pack up medications in their original containers, insurance and other important papers, a change of clothing, and any other items they need at this time. The sheriff's office is establishing and will maintain checkpoints in the area to discourage non-residents from trying to get into the area. Consequently, residents should make sure they have identification with their current address with them at all times. Residents should also be aware that if an evacuation is ordered, residents WILL NOT be allowed back into the affected areas until it is safe to do so. Please DO NOT WAIT for an evacuation order to be issued to make these critical preparations. -- Mandatory Evacuations In Teller CountyThe Teller County Shriff's office ordered mandatory evacuations Tuesday morning for: Crystal Peak Mountain area near West Indian Creek subdivision Indican Creek Subdivision (Teller County) Florissant Heights Subdivision Valley Hi Subdivision JDK Subdivision. This order was issued at 8:15 a.m. June 11. --
SUPPLIES FOR FIREFIGHTERS Mountain Resource Center is taking several loads of supplies today - Tuesday, June 11 - to Elk Creek and North Fork fire departments, and hopefully, some of the other smaller fire departments. Thank you to everyone who has been so generous in donating supplies. The following lists of needs for Elk Creek and North Fork firefighters were accurate as of 9 p.m. Monday, June 10. Please phone MRC at 303-838-7552 before dropping off supplies. Our staff and volunteers are available today from 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. We are located on the back side of the Conifer Safeway center building. Phone for directions if needed. Fire Depts. need: Portable, high protein or high-carb foods, such as Power Bars, etc. Please, no sandwiches of food that can spoil North Fork FD also needs the following items: A refrigerator! Donations from a restaurant for the dinners and pies would be the most helpful thing for North Fork FD. MRC can get fruits and hard boiled eggs (no raw ones, please!) to the station. MRC can arrange a shuttle to deliver the food from the restaurants, as well. Please phone us if you can help. You can also make monetary donations directly to the Salvation Army, who will set up a fund for the evacuees or for firefighters of specific departments, through Mountain Resource Center. We will deliver the money to the Salvation Army for those funds, which will be distributed directly to fire depts., evacuees, or victims of the fire. People who want to volunteer time can contact Heather at the 285 Corridor Disaster Response Team at 303-816-0701. This organization also coordinates other response efforts, so call Heather if you want to know how to help. Janet Shown -- Monday, June 10-- -- Jeffco Evacuation UpdatePosted on the Jeffco Web site at 6:09: The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has also issued a pre-evacuation order for homes north and west from Foxton in the area bordered by Foxton Road and U.S. Highway 285. Please note: Residents in those areas should be prepared to leave but have not been ordered to evacuate at this time. Those subdivisions that should be prepared to leave if ordered include: Wanblee Valley, Shaffer Crossing, Richmond, Switzerland Village, Elk Creek Acres, Green Valley Ranch, Conifer Meadows, Rampart Highlands, Piano Meadows, Sphinx Park, Indian Springs Village and Kincaid Springs. Source: Jeffco Web Site -- Jeffco Fire InfoTo keep the media and Jefferson County residents informed about the Hayman Fire, Jefferson County has established a hotline recording and Web site giving the latest available information. The hotline can be called 24 hours per day at 303-271-8994. The Web site can be accessed at http://jeffco.us Please note: The Jeffco hotline and website will offer information primarily about evacuations and other details that affect Jefferson County residents. Please also note that the Jefferson County Open Space Department has closed Pine Valley Ranch Park and Reynolds Ranch Park to all visitors. Both parks are located in the evacuation areas and will be closed until further notice. The Jeffco Open Space Department has also closed all Open Space parks to camping until further notice. -- Jeffco Pre EvacJefferson County has issued an evacuation advisory for a triangular-shaped area from South Platte west through the town of Pine to the Jefferson County/Park county line. The eastern boundary of this area is along Foxton Road from South Platte to Conifer. The northern boundary is Highway 285 from Pine Junction to Conifer. This means people in this area should be prepared for possible evacuation. -- Evacuation RemindersFollowing is a brief list of important items to remember to * Pets -- -- Fires from Space Here are the Colorado fires burning as of Sunday afternoon. The plume from the Hayman fire extends into Nebraska and actually goes all the way to South Dakota. People in Rapid City reported hazy smoke in the air Sunday from this fire.-- Evacuation Shelter ChangesThe Red Cross is CLOSING two shelters and opening three more. The three new ones are in the process of being opened now. CLOSING: Elk Creek Elementary shelter is closing Sedalia Elementary is closing OPENING: Castle Rock Middle School is opening ThunderRidge High in Highlands Ranch is opening Golden High School in Golden. REMAINING OPEN: Woodland Park High School Lake George Elementary Colorado Mountain College at Spring Valley -- Roxborogh and Perry Park Evacuation UpdateThe Douglas County Sheriff's office says the "trigger point" for the evacuation of Perry Park is 4 miles away. The fire is within 2 miles of the "trigger point." The trigger point for the evacuation of Roxborough is also 4 miles away. Right now the fire is 8 miles from the trigger point. The bad news is the fire appears to be headed toward Roxborough Park at about 2 miles per hour. Dougco says the trigger points were established to allow plenty of time for an orderly evacuation, if one is needed. -- Airtracker 7 Streaming VideoWe are streaming noon video from Channel 7's Airtracker. Amazing pictures. Go to this link and click on "VIDEO" in the top blurb. -- Hayman Fire now 60,850 acres
Anyone in Dougco needing assistance with the evacuations of horses or other large animals should call the Douglas County Emergency Operations Center at 303-814-7070. This is the same number to call to donate grass hay to feed these animals, which are being temporarily boarded at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Approximately 80 youth and 40 staff members from the Woodbine Ranch west of Sedalia are being evacuated to Sedalia Elementary School. The Douglas County Fairgrounds is accepting large animals that have been evacuated from endangered areas. Donations of grass hay are being south. Anyone with grass hay to donate should contact the Emergency Operations Centers at 303-814-7070 for details. -- Red Flag Warning ContinuesRED FLAG WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER COLORADO 510 AM MDT MON JUN 10 2002 ...A RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN CONTINUED FOR ALL FIRE WEATHER ZONES THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER...IN COORDINATION WITH AREA A WEAK SURGE OF SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER EASTERN COLORADO TODAY EXTREMELY DRY FUELS...PERSISTENT STRONG AND GUSTY WEST TO SOUTHWEST WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS AT SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH COOPER/GARD...WFO BOULDER -- More Dougco EvacuationsRELEASE DATE: 06-10-02 RELEASE TIME: 8:00 a.m. WHAT: HAYMAN FIRE UPDATE NARRATIVE: DOUGLAS COUNTY, CO -- Approximately 80 youth and 40 staff members from the Woodbine Ranch west of Sedalia are being evacuated to Sedalia Elementary School. The Douglas County Fairgrounds is accepting large animals that have been evacuated from endangered areas. Donations of grass hay are being sought. Anyone with grass hay to donate should contact the Emergency Operations Center at 303-814-7070 for details. -- DOUGCO Evac Info UpdatedDepending on weather conditions and firefighters' ability to control this blaze, the potential exists for this fire to spread extremely rapidly over the next 48 hours. It is entirely possible that the following communities may face evacuations today: Perry Park, Sedalia, Indian Creek Ranch, Roxborough Park, Roxborough Village. We wish to stress that evacuation has NOT been ordered in these areas - we simply are asking people to make preparations for possible evacuations. In theory, this could include a line of evacuation extending from Chatfield Reservoir on the north to Perry Park on the south, and everything west of US. Hwy 85 and Hwy 105. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is working on preparations for an evacuation of this magnitude, which could potentially include thousands of people. We would ask everyone living in the affected area to pay particular attention to news media reports over the next 48 hours. Emergency telephone notification will be used in affected areas if evacuation becomes necessary. We also ask people NOT to call 911 to report the smell of smoke, but only if they have actual knowledge of an emergency. -- Dougco S.O. Update From 10 p.m. last nightAs of 2200 hours, Sunday, June 9th, the Hayman Fire has been sighted on both sides of Hwy 67 approximately two miles south of Deckers near the Fletcher Ranch. The fire is also in Jefferson County along Jefferson County Road 126,which is west of Deckers. The fire is still moving in a northeasterly direction at approximately 5 MPH. Current estimates indicate the fire now encompasses more than 30,000 acres or 35 square miles of territory. At this point, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is evacuating the following areas: Hwy 67, along the S. Platte River north to the Nighhawk Hill Subdivision and east to the Ranger Station on Hwy 67. This area also includes Scraggy View Town, Sugar Creek, Moon Ridge, Nighthawk Town and Cambell Fields. The evacuation area goes south along Rampart Range Road to the Douglas/Teller County line. Also, included is the area from Deckers south along Hwy 67 to the Douglas/Teller County Line. · West Creek Subdivision area · Pine Lake Estates · Trout Creek Farms Subdivision · Trout Creek Ranch · Trail Creek Rd. · Stump Rd. · Cedar Mountain Rd. · Rainbow Falls Subdivision · Rainbow Falls Park · Ferguson Rd./Hwy 67 area · Horse Creek · Y-Camp Road · Deckers · Trumbull · Cheeseman Reservoir area -- Smoke Advisory LIftedIssued at: 4:19 AM MDT 6/10/02, expires at: 5:19 AM MDT 6/10/02 smoke advisory expires The smoke advisory over metro denver and to the south over the palmer divide and to the southwest in the foothills will be allowed to expire. Low level easterly winds will keep the smoke more confined to the fire site in the foothills today. However, enough residual smoke will be present to produce a smoky haze over many areas today including greater metro denver. This bulletin affects: Jefferson And West Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet/gilpin/clear Creek/northeast Park Counties Below 9000 Feet, Boulder And Jefferson Counties Below 6000 Feet/west Broomfield County, North Douglas County Below 6000 Feet/denver/west Adams And Arapahoe Counties/east Broomfield County, Elbert/central And East Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet, including Bailey, Central City, Evergreen, Georgetown, Idaho Springs, Westcreek, Arvada, Boulder, Golden, Lakewood, Longmont, Aurora, Brighton, City of Denver, Denver International Airport, Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Parker, Castle Rock, Elbert, Fondis, Kiowa, Larkspur
-- Hayman Fire Update - Forest ClosureFire size: 30,000+ Acres... in Douglas, Jefferson, Park, El Paso & Teller counties. Heading steadily Northeast at about 500 acres an hour 1 structure has been lost... but there aren't any details on that structure Some firefighters reported flames up to 200 feet yesterday. 250 personnel are working the fire... including 9 20 person hand crews and a hot shot crews New evacuations include: Night Hawk, Willow Bend & Scraggy View; more evacuations may come today. ALL AREAS SOUTH OF SPHYNX PARK (FROM AN IMAGINARY EAST/WEST LINE ACROSS JEFFERSON COUNTY AREA UNDER MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER. A "historic fire closure" went into effect at 12:00am Pursuant to 36 CFR 261.5(a) and CFR 9212.2(a), all lands administered by the Pike National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the following counties: Douglas, Jefferson, Park, Teller, and El Paso are closed for all uses. Persons are prohibited from being on, or driving on any National Forest or BLM lands. Included in this order are the following prohibitions. Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, charcoal grill, coal or wood burning stove (36 CFR 261.50(a). Using an explosive (36 CFR 261.52(h)0. Pursuant to 36 CFR 26.50(3) the following persons are exempt from this order: Persons with a permit specifically authorizing the otherwise prohibited act or omission. Owners or lessees of land in the area. Residents that require access through the Pike National Forest and BLM lands in the above listed counties. Any Federal, State, or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty. Persons driving through these closed public lands on open State County highways. This order is in effect beginning 12:00 AM, MDT, June 10, 2002, and until rescinded. -- Sunday, June 9Jeffco Evacuation OrderEvacuation order issued for 'all areas south of Sphynx Park, county to county and border to border'. This includes Pine, Buffalo Creek, and Spring Creek and communities along the South Platte south of that line. Fire has jumped Hwy126 about 4 miles south of forest rd 550. Flames are 200 ft in height and fire behavoir is intense and irratic. Any one in the area is advised to potentially be ready to evacuate. [view full post] -- Hayman Fire Quick FactsQuick Facts 06/09/2002 7 PM Location: Park County, 6 miles NW of Lake George along the Tarryall Drainage FIRE WEATHER: -- Red Flag Warning...RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN EXTENDED FOR ALL FIRE WEATHER ZONES IN NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO THROUGH 1000 PM MDT MONDAY EVENING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER...IN COORDINATION WITH AREA A WEAK WEATHER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRUSH WEST AND NORTH OF THE EXTREMELY DRY FUELS...STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS...VERY LOW SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH WILL CONTINUE IN THE WARNING AREA THE ABOVE FACTORS WILL CREATE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR THE RAPID -- Satellite View of the FireSmoke going all the way to South Dakota. You can also see the smoke plumes from the other fires burning the state. -- Hayman Fire -Link to USFS Hayman Site (now 25,000+acres) Dougco Press Release WHAT: Status of “Hayman” Fire, Moving into Douglas County’s Pike-San Isabel National Forest NARRATIVE: DOUGLAS COUNTY, CO – The Hayman Fire is expected to cross Hwy 67 between the areas of Deckers and West Creek at approximately 1800 hours. The fire is moving in a northeasterly direction at approximately 5 MPH. At this point, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is evacuating the following areas: Hwy 67 north to Rampart Range Road and South to the Douglas/Teller County line. Also, included is the area from Deckers south along Hwy 67 to the Douglas/Teller County Line. · West Creek Subdivision area HEALTH ADVISORY: Smoke from this fire may cause respiratory problems and people with respiratory problems are strongly encouraged to stay inside until conditions improve. Additionally, residents in the above listed areas are encouraged to consider the issue of large animal and pet evacuation. Residents are encouraged to make necessary arrangements as soon as possible. Emergency shelters have been activated at the following locations: -- Hayman Fire UpdateCLOSURES County Road 77 is closed between Highway 24 and Park County Rd 31. A closure order for the affected areas of the Pike National Forest is expected later today. EVACUATIONS Molly Gulch Campground, Goose Creek Campground and Flying G Girl The fire is burning an estimated 500 acres an hour.. -- Smoke Advisory IssuedNational weather service has issued a smoke advisory of the Denver Metro area. Smoke will continue to thicken into the evening . Visibility in some areas may be limited to ¼ mile. Use of headlights is -- Heyman Fire(sorry, we were camping this weekend northwest of Glenwood Springs where the Coal Seam fire was burning and came home to this) -Fire is moving fast -3,000 acres burned at of 2 p.m. -driving in a Northeasterly direction towards Cheesman Reservoir -Fire Jumped the South Platte River Near Custer Cabin -2 Power lines have been shut down… The Malta and the Divide Power -Forest Service is evacuating some camping areas. Later this afternoon a forest-wide closure may come. Glenwood Springs fire information is at this site. Garfield County press releases are at this site. -- |
