Colorado Wildfires 2018 *Arrest*

[margarita25]

Burro Fire pushes to crews’ containment line
Firefighters predict more fire activity

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Wind sends ash, smoke from Burro Fire to Telluride

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Burro Fire kicks up but is still at 40 percent containment

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Burro Fire Information - InciWeb the Incident Information System
*it looks like the estimated containment date for the Burro fire is Aug. 1

 

[margarita25]

Colorado wildfires: Here is the latest information on current wildfires

 

[margarita25]

Golf Course Fire in Grand County burns 20 acres, forces evacuations

 

[margarita25]

Spring Creek wildfire triples in size overnight Thursday
Spring Creek fire triples in size overnight, grows to 14,424 acres
Additional fire crews have been tasked to the wildfire and will begin operations Friday morning

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Spring Fire is now estimated at 25,000 acres; more structures lost

"COSTILLA COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - Firefighters are pessimistic that the fire burning in Costilla and Huerfano counties will get worse before it will get better.

Officials said in a Thursday afternoon news conference that due to weather conditions, firefighters will be "chasing" the fire versus battling it -- and that will not change until weather conditions change.

As of Friday morning, the fire had consumed an estimated 25,000 acres with no containment."

 

[dspdenver]

Alrighty yesterday was the hottest day on record I think in Denver, looking for link.
Eta:
Denver heat wave breaking records and ACs, cars

Today the view of the mountains is completely hazed over and my eyes are burning. Let's see what's up. Not smelling any smoke though...

Last night the smoke smell sure settled in here in Denver. Not sure if my headache all night was from the smoke over the area or not. I'm not usually bothered by smoke from the wildfires, unless it was unusually heavy last night.

 

[dspdenver]

Spring Fire: Man arrested on arson charges in connection with massive blaze

"Jesper Jorgenson, 52, was taken into custody sometime Saturday, San Luis Valley Emergency officials said during an early afternoon community meeting for evacuees held at the Blanca/Fort Garland Community Center.

Jorgenson, who was arrested without incident by Costilla County deputies, was being held on arson charges. No other information related to those charges was immediately released."

 

[zencompass]

I feel so bad for all of the people affected by these fires.

With all of our new advances in technology and science, I wish there were more methods or chemicals to extinguish these fires sooner.

I pray for the safety of the citizens affected as well as for the fire fighters and police.

My heart just sinks when I hear of these fires and how fast they spread.

 

[dspdenver]

Colorado dry times wildfires expand, burning across more than 100,000 acres, threatening thousands of mountain houses – The Denver Post

"Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents placed an “immigration hold” on a 52-year-old Danish man jailed on arson charges in connection with the largest of the fires, which expanded to 50,033 acres west of Fort Garland at the edge of the San Luis Valley. This Spring fire was burning eastward over La Veta Pass (U.S. Highway 160)."
"“It is a very active fire, almost unprecedented weather conditions and fire behavior — a very challenging fire,” said Neal Kephart, spokesman for the inter-agency team of 550 firefighters assigned to that blaze."

"In southwestern Colorado, the 47,031-acre 416 wildfire north of Durango, burning west of Highway 550, remained mostly out of control but has not threatened structures."

 

[margarita25]

Spring Fire now the 3rd largest in Colorado history at more than 94,000 acres

"Fire officials said Wednesday morning that the fire burning east of Fort Garland was estimated at slightly more than 94,000 acres. The fire has destroyed over 100 homes since it began June 27 and more than 2,000 others have been evacuated.

A Danish man was taken into custody in connection to the fire and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) put an immigration detainer on the man, identified as Jesper Jorgensen, 52, following his arrest."

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Spring Fire explodes past 94,000 acres, nearly 1,000 firefighters on scene

"COSTILLA COUNTY, Colo. -- The Spring Fire burning in southern Colorado continued to explode in size as acreage reached 94,125 as of Wednesday morning, according to fire officials. This makes it the third largest wildfire in state history after the Hayman Fire in 2002 and the West Fork Fire complex (technically three separate fires that merged) in 2013.

986 people are fighting the fire, which is 5 percent contained. Crews are dealing with hot, dry and windy weather conditions."

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Spring Fire Continues To Grow
*video

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Spring Fire at 94,125 acres
"Suppressing fire spread in Division K is a priority today. Fixed and rotor wing aircraft will both be at work. Fire managers have identified a ridgeline near Bonnett Park on which to construct fireline between Divisions N and K, south of the advancing fire front. Crews will also create contingency line below the ridge while minimizing resource and land impact as much as possible."
*more at link

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Huge Colorado fire keeps 2,500 homes evacuated

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Multiple drought-fueled wildfires are raging across at least 4 Western states - CNN

"The Spring Creek fire is one of the largest ever in Colorado, devouring more than 94,000 acres by early Wednesday, according to Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team.
More than 100 homes have been destroyed during the fire, which also has forced evacuations from more than 2,000 homes in the southern part of the state since last Wednesday, CNN affiliate KCNC reported.
In addition, hundreds of central Colorado residents were unable to dial 911 on Tuesday because of a Verizon and Charter phone outage attributed to the fire, the station reported."

 

[margarita25]

"A tweet posted by officials posted Monday night said that 104 homes have been destroyed by the fire and 61 are intact.

So far, 104 homes were destroyed and 61 intact. Property owners in the portion of Forbes Park assessed so far may see the Assessment Report at San Luis Valley Emergency Info. More assessments to come later as investigation & safety allow #SpringFire

— SLVEmergency (@SLVEmergency) July 3, 2018"

Spring Fire explodes past 94,000 acres, nearly 1,000 firefighters on scene

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"For More Information:

Inciweb: Spring Creek Fire Information - InciWeb the Incident Information System Facebook: facebook.com/springfire2018

Twitter: @Springfire2018 Fire Info Line: 719-695-9573

***Social media identifiers are now #springfire for both areas, #southspringfire (Team Black), and #northspringfire (Team Blue).***

Spring Fire Statistics:

Start Date: June 27, 2018 Location: 5 miles east of Ft Garland, CO Size: 94,125 acres

Percent Contained: 5% Resources: 986 Cause: Human caused, under Investigation

Evacuee Meeting: There is a daily 1 p.m. meeting for evacuees held at the evacuation center located at the Blanca/Ft Garland Community Center, 17591 E Hwy 160. The meetings will be live streamed on Facebook for those who cannot attend."

Spring Fire at 94,125 acres

 

[margarita25]

The 416 fire cost $27.8 million to date, Spring Creek fire spawns 300-foot flames; the latest on Colorado wildfires.

"Colorado wildfire update: 416 fire cost $27.8 million, Spring Creek fire spawns 300-foot flames; the latest on blazes across the state"

*ummm, 300 foot flames?!

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Storms to create erratic conditions on 416 Fire

"Fire officials expect steady growth of the 416 Fire over the next week, with scattered storms, dry lightning and wind gusts that could reach 50 mph."

Snip

"“We are able to make some of our resources available to other fires that are seeing a more serious need than we are,” Vonk said."

 

[margarita25]

Burned bear cub gains international attention, seen as symbol of hope
Readers suggest naming bear Cinderella, Ember, Hope and Bernadette

"The bear is now being treated for four severely burned paws at the Frisco Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation Center near Del Norte and is expected to be released back into the wild.

“She is doing as well as can be expected. Her feet seem to healing,” Lewandowski said."

 

[margarita25]

Lake Christine fire grows to 2,377 acres, threatens to knock out power lines to Roaring Fork Valley – The Denver Post

"The Lake Christine fire has grown to 2,377 acres with zero percent containment as of 4:45 p.m. Wednesday.

The blaze has triggered 500 home evacuations and continues to threaten power lines feeding ..."

 

[margarita25]

Colorado wildfire update: Spring Creek fire devours another 15,000 acres, more on five others – The Denver Post

"Powerful, erratic winds continue to push the week-old Spring Creek wildfire through heavy ..."

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Spring Fire Listed As One Of Largest Wildfires In Colorado History

"One man is under arrest and accused of starting the fire. Authorities accuse Jesper Joergensen, a 52-year-old Denmark native whose visa has expired, of starting the fire when he cooked meat on a fire pit on June 26. The fire started the next day reportedly feet away from the fire pit."

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Colorado wildfire destroys more than 100 homes; "extreme caution" urged across West - CBS News

"Tamara Estes' family cabin, which her parents built in 1963 using wood and rocks from the land, was among the homes destroyed.

"I think it's sinking in more now. But we're just crying," she said. "My grandmother's antique dining table and her hutch are gone."

"It was a sacred place to us," she added."

Snip

"The blaze, known as the Spring Fire, is one of six large wildfires burning in Colorado and is the largest at 123 square miles — about five times the size of Manhattan."

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Why the Global SuperTanker isn't helping with Colorado wildfires

"COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Over the past few weeks, one question has come into our newsroom more than any other: "Why isn't the Global SuperTanker assisting with the numerous fires burning in Colorado?"

Ultimately, contract negotiations are the reason why the SuperTanker isn't flying over the many wildfires burning in Colorado."

 

[margarita25]

"First, it needed FAA certification to fly. Even after that was obtained in the fall of 2016, it still needed contracts with various governments or federal agencies allowing it to be used in the event of a wildfire.

In 2017 and early 2018, it signed contracts with Douglas County, El Paso County, and the city of Colorado Springs, allowing it to be used if requested by those entities.

(Click here to read the details of the contract with the City of Colorado Springs:
City contract reveals costs of using Global Supertanker )

However, the company has yet to reach a permanent agreement with the state of Colorado or the US Forest Service, preventing it from being used to battle the Spring Fire, 416 Fire, and others."

Why the Global SuperTanker isn't helping with Colorado wildfires

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From an older article (Aug 2017):

" The "Call When Needed" contract doesn't guarantee the city exclusive use of the jet.

If the city wants exclusive use of the Supertanker, the cost is $38,900 dollars per day, with up to 12 hours of use included per day.

There is no additional charge if normal hydrant water is used to fight fires, but if fire retardant is requested, that will be an extra cost to the City."
City contract reveals costs of using Global Supertanker

 

[margarita25]

"Repeated calls to the company over the past few days to inquire about the status of negotiations were unreturned.

Even when contracts are signed, those entities will still have to decide whether the SuperTanker is the most economical option.

The SuperTanker can carry 20,000 gallons of fire retardant, significantly more than the next largest air tanker commonly used, the DC-10.

Accordingly, the costs are higher."

Why the Global SuperTanker isn't helping with Colorado wildfires

 

[margarita25]

CBS4 Weather Special: Living With Wildfire


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Image forecast / fire danger class / 7/5/18 / fire behaviour research
https://www.wfas.net/images/firedanger/fd_cls_f.png

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Current wildfires map:
Current Wildfires | Fire Prevention and Control

 

[margarita25]

"Meanwhile, a wind-fueled wildfire in Northern California was threatening more than 900 buildings south of San Francisco. The massive blaze choked skies with ash and smoke, prompting some officials to cancel Fourth of July fireworks shows and urge people to stay indoors to protect themselves from the unhealthy air."

Colorado wildfire destroys more than 100 homes; "extreme caution" urged across West - CBS News

*got lightning and fireworks all around. Hopefully no fires will be sparked.

 

[margarita25]

Colorado dry times wildfires expand, burning across more than 100,000 acres, threatening thousands of mountain houses – The Denver Post

"Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents placed an “immigration hold” on a 52-year-old Danish man jailed on arson charges in connection with the largest of the fires, which expanded to 50,033 acres west of Fort Garland at the edge of the San Luis Valley. This Spring fire was burning eastward over La Veta Pass (U.S. Highway 160)."
"“It is a very active fire, almost unprecedented weather conditions and fire behavior — a very challenging fire,” said Neal Kephart, spokesman for the inter-agency team of 550 firefighters assigned to that blaze."

"In southwestern Colorado, the 47,031-acre 416 wildfire north of Durango, burning west of Highway 550, remained mostly out of control but has not threatened structures."

Yeah not a good time to come to Colorado and BBQ in the woods.
Nice to see ya, dspdenver (sorry can't talk about AG at this time...).
Glad to have your input here.

 

[margarita25]

"So far this year, wildfires have burned 4,200 square miles in the United States, according to the fire center. That's a bit below last year's acreage to date — which included the beginning of California's devastating fire season — but above the 10-year average of 3,600 square miles.

Because of the Independence Day holiday, authorities are also concerned about the possibility of campfires or fireworks starting new fires because of the dry, hot conditions. In Colorado, many communities have canceled firework displays, and a number of federal public lands and counties have some degree of fire restrictions in place, banning things like campfires or smoking outdoors.

In Arizona, large swaths of national forests and state trust land have been closed since before Memorial Day. Some cities have canceled fireworks displays because of extreme fire danger.

In New Mexico, all or part of three national forests remain closed because of the threat of wildfire, putting a damper on holiday camping plans. The forests that are open have strict rules, especially when it comes to fireworks."

Colorado wildfire destroys more than 100 homes; "extreme caution" urged across West - CBS News


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Group of volunteers staff the command posts for the Spring Fire

"From setting up camp to handing out meals, you name it and they are all-in in an effort to make work and rest time easier for the firefighters. "

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Colorado wildfire update: The latest from the Lake Christine fire, Spring Creek fire and other blazes across the state

"While rain predictions for this week give some fire crews hope, strong winds Wednesday fueled ..."