Father's Day and Fire Update

Wow what a week we have had!!  Make sure to check out the post below on VBS, lots of fun pictures!! 

Yesterday was Father's Day, and a Happy Father's Day to all the Daddies out there . . . Especially Our Daddy, Cam, and Grandpa Louie!!  We had a pretty low key day, French Toast for Breakfast (per Daddy's Request), then family naps, a short trip to the pool (shortened by drifting smoke from the fire), and grilled pork chops, baked potatoes, and cran-apple crumble for dinner . . .Yum!!!  Hopefully Cam had a great day and felt Loved, because he certainly is!!

Daddy and Riley on the water slide

Catch Me Daddy!!

My little fish

My Big Fish!

Pork Chops on the Grill!!

 If you haven't heard it on the news yet, there is a HUGE fire burning just outside of Fort Collins.  I've been inundated with questions for updates on the fire as well as our well-being.  So let me reassure everyone - We are fine.  We live quite a bit east of Fort Collins, more on the plains than in the mountains, and the fire is burning west of Fort Collins, in the foothills and mountains.  So WE are safe.  However, this is by no means a fire to take lightly.  It is currently the 3rd largest fire in the HISTORY of Colorado at 58,770 acres.  As of now it is 50% contained, but was at 0% until just a few days ago.  It's been burning since last Saturday (June 9th), but it was said to have started on the Wednesday Prior by a lightning strike.  189 homes have been destroyed and thousands of people have been evacuated, some twice after they were let return and then the fire flared up again.  The amount of resources working this fire is nearly unheard of.  1,748 people, 17 helicopters and 4 heavy air tankers.  The current cost (as of this morning)of fighting the fire is $12.6 million, that's not including damages, that's just the cost of fighting it!  Thankfully, but also regrettably, only 1 life has been claimed, on the first day flames claimed a life before fire officials could get to the house to evacuate the elderly woman, and only 2 firefighters have had minor injuries.  Many people I know, either former co-workers/rangers from Larimer County Parks, or friends from CSU's Natural Resources College, are working this fire.  It's also burning much of the area I have worked in and/or played in since moving here.  A large portion of Lory State Park has burned, and Eagle's Nest Open Space and Horsetooth Mountain Open Space are closed because of the close proximity to smoke and flames.  Horsetooth Reservoir is currently open, but was closed earlier this week, and portions of it are still closed to allow for fire traffic and helicopters picking up water to drop.  Poudre Canyon is closed at  Ted's Place, and fire is burning along Highway 14 from Gateway Park to the Narrows. 

Needless to say, this fire is very personal to me, and I am keeping up with it the best that I can!  On Tuesday last week I went up to Horsetooth to talk to one of my former Supervisors, Will.  He was working the Roadblock at the reservoir, and upon seeing me the first words out of his mouth were "You want a Job?!?!"  (that was before the feds arrived to help with the fire and everyone had been working 18-24 hour shifts for the previous 4 days)  It was very hard for me to say no, the Ranger in me wanted so badly to be on the front lines, doing my part to help the landscape I love so dearly, and be in on the knowledge overheard on radios and passed along the frontlines.  But Standing there in the midst of all the smoke (coughing), pregnant and holding my youngest child in my arms, I was glad that this was not currently required of me.  I know I could not have handled it.  So instead I have signed up for email alerts to press releases from Larimer County, and I watch the news every chance I get, checking for updated maps, pictures or any new information.

If you would like to see pictures, 9NEWS (local NBC station) has a great slideshow.  http://www.9news.com/9slideshows/  or keep up to date on the fire happenings check out InciWeb.  http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2904/  
These are great resources and have been doing a great job covering fire information. 

Please Pray for our area, not just here around Fort Collins, but the entire Southwest.  We are experiencing major drought, and the high temperatures and winds are going to make this a difficult fire season.  And it's only Just Begun.