2012 Colorado wildfires
 | This article is about the 2012 Colorado wildfire season, a current disaster where information can change quickly or be unreliable. The latest page updates may not reflect the most up-to-date information. |
39°00′N 105°30′W / 39°N 105.5°W
| 2012 Colorado wildfire season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date(s) | June 9, 2012 — ongoing (MDT UTC-06) |
| Location | Throughout Colorado |
| Coordinates | 39°00′N 105°30′W / 39°N 105.5°W |
| Statistics | |
| Burned area | At least 202,425 acres (316.3 sq mi; 819.2 km2) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 5[1] |
| Non-fatal injuries | at least 2 |
| Structures destroyed | Over 600 homes[2] |
The 2012 Colorado wildfires are an ongoing unusually devastating series of Colorado wildfires and include several separate fires in June 2012. At least 34,500 residents were evacuated in June.[4][5]
Causes
In 2011-2012, Colorado had an extremely dry winter, with only 13% of the average precipitation.[citation needed] The summer also saw temperatures near and in excess of 100ºF across the state, and most of the state had relative humidity in the teens and single digits.[citation needed] Dry thunderstorms and possible arsonists were also contributing factors.
Individual fires
Lower North Fork Fire
In March, the 4,140 acre fire took the lives of three residents and destroyed 23 homes, one mile east of Foxton, Colorado. The Lower North Fork Fire started on Monday, March 26. Preliminary reports indicate that the fire was caused by embers from a prescribed fire.
Springer Fire
In June, the Springer Fire, in Elevenmile Canyon south of Lake George, burned over 1,100 acres. Over 500 firefighters fought the fire.[6] As the fire was brought under control, resources were able to be pulled from it to fight the Waldo Canyon Fire.
Waldo Canyon Fire
The Waldo Canyon Fire is a forest fire that started 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Colorado Springs, Colorado on June 23, 2012, and is still burning out of control on 15,364 acres (24 sq mi; 62 km2) of US Forest Service land. The fire has caused the evacuation of over 32,000 residents of Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs and Woodland Park, several small mountain communities along Highway 24, and partial evacuation of the United States Air Force Academy. On the afternoon of June 26, winds increased following a dry thunderstorm that passed west of the fire, within two hours the fire which had been held by firefighters near Rampart Road jumped northeast into Queens Canyon as the fire crested out of Queens Canyon gusts as high as 70 mph pushed the fire down the front range particularly into the Mountain Shadows neighborhood. After 12 hours of fighting the blaze in western Colorado Springs the fire had claimed 346 homes in Colorado Springs, thus making it the most destructive fire in Colorado state history.
High Park Fire
The High Park Fire in the mountains west of Fort Collins in Larimer County, Colorado, USA was caused by a lightning strike and was first detected on the morning of June 9, 2012. A 62-year-old woman was killed in the fire.[7][8]
The High Park Fire has burned over 87,250 acres (136 sq mi; 353 km2), becoming the second-largest fire in recorded Colorado history by area burned, after the Hayman Fire of 2002.[9] It has destroyed at least 257 homes, surpassing the number consumed by the Fourmile Canyon Fire of 2010. The High Park Fire has become the most destructive fire in Colorado history in terms of the number of houses burned.[9][10]
Flagstaff Fire
The Flagstaff Fire (also called Bison Fire) is an ongoing wildfire located a few miles southwest of the city of Boulder, Colorado in Boulder County, Colorado. The fire was started by a lightning strike about 2 p.m., Mountain Daylight Time, on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, near the intersection of Flagstaff Road and Bison Drive, about three miles south of Flagstaff Mountain.
As of 5 p.m. the same day, the fire was not contained and had burned approximately 250 acres.[11]
Pine Ridge Fire
The Pine Ridge Fire is a large wildfire caused by a lighting strike that was detected in the rugged Little Bookcliffs area at 1:57 pm, MDT, on Wednesday, June 27, 2012 ten miles northeast of Grand Junction in Mesa County, Colorado. The fire started at a generally small size of twenty acres and rapidly grew uncontrollably due to the low humidity and high temperatures. As of Friday, June 29, 2012 at 12:13 pm MDT, officials say that the fire has burned an estimated 12,047 acres and have contained 5% of the fire. This is the first major fire on the Western Slope.
The Mesa County Sheriff's Office has issued evacuations for all homes and businesses in De Beque that are located south of S 1/2 Road, west of 45 1/2 Road and east of Interstate 70. The De Beque Fire Department has also issued an evacuation order for south of U Road. The department says to take the De Beque Cutoff, travel toward the town of Mesa, and then take Highway 65 back to I-70. Evacuees are allowed to go to Palisade High School. There is large concern from the officials that the wildfire will reach I-70 and as a result, they shut down I-70 between exits 49 and 62.[12]
References
- ^ Coffman, Keith (27 June 2012). "Colorado wildfire intensifies, consumes 15,000 acres". Reuters. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
- ^ Muskal, Michael (28 June 2012). "Colorado fires: Waldo Canyon blaze grows, takes hundreds of homes". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
- ^ "Raging Wildfires in Colorado prompts FBI investigation". Fox News. 28 June 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
- ^ Oldham, Jennifer (June 28, 2012). "Colorado Wildfire Forces 34,500 to Evacuate as Homes Burn". Businessweek.
- ^ Coffman, Keith (June 27, 2012). Wildfires worsen in Colorado, 32,000 flee homes. Reuters
- ^ Springer fire west of Colorado Springs expected to be fully contained Sunday, The Denver Post
- ^ "Latest News Releases". Larimer County - Sheriff. Retrieved 2012-06-27.
- ^ "High Park Fire Update". Larimer County Sheriff's Office. June 12, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-27.
- ^ a b Mitchell, Kirk; Udell, Erin (June 23, 2012). "Colorado's High Park fire at 82,190 acres; new pre-evacuation orders". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2012-06-27.
- ^ "High Park Fire Announcement: Assessment Information". Inciweb. Retrieved 2012-06-27.
- ^ "flagstaff-fire".
- ^ "InciWeb the Incident Information System: Pine Ridge". Retrieved 28 June 2012.
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