Monday, June 11, 2012

High Park Fire Nearing 40,000 Acres With Zero Containment

The High Park Fire continues to burn out of control today in Colorado, just to the north west of Ft. Collins and just south of where the Hewlett Fire burned last month.

It is thought to have been started by lightning, Saturday morning, but the investigation is still under way.

Four hundred personnel are fighting the fire, which is nearing 40,000 acres.

Winds paired with hot, dry weather are spurring on the flames, causing it to grow up to fifty feet a minute, with some areas seeing flames several hundred feet high.


Five tankers, and multiple helicopters are aiding ground personnel, in the fight, but so far efforts are still being aimed at trying to protect structures.

Specifically of importance are the communication towers on Buckhorn Mountain, if they are lost fire fighters would only be able to communicate via line of site, making things all the more difficult for them.

At least one hundred homes have already been damaged or burned down, and one fatality has been confirmed by authorities.

Near three thousand evacuation notices have been sent out, but many are refusing to leave.

The Colorado National Guard has been involved in air operations since nearly the beginning of the fire. Wyoming and Nebraska are planning to send Guard forces as well.

Fire fighters from several other states are on the way as well, but fires in other states have limited the resources available.

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