Flagstaff Fire & Chincoteague Pony Penning

The Flagstaff fire here in Boulder is 90% contained.  The federal fire team is leaving, and the fire is not contained only in extremely rough terrain.  Hopefully, our summer thunderstorms will not create any more lightning-strike fires.  Fires are still burning around the state, but the only one of true concern, at the moment, is the Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs.
  The annual Chincoteague Pony Swim and Auction (Pony Penning) will take place on July 25 and 26 this year.  Even though I've missed seeing the last ten events in person, I'm still excited about it - and I wish I could be there.  (Just for fun, I tried to find a hotel rental for next year, and could only find a one-bed attic room in a bed and breakfast 35 miles away on the mainland....  I guess I'll have to ask Maureen for a sleeping spot, if I actually get to go.)  At the age of 56, I am still perplexed by the very real "pull" that Pony Penning exerts on my psyche.  Mom grew up on Chincoteague, was definitely pony and horse crazy (she used to walk down to Beebe Ranch every Sunday, so she could ride the ponies with her cousin Alma), and she talked to me frequently about growing up on the island, and how Pony Penning was always regarded as a Homecoming time by 'Teaguers.  Maybe I feel the need to be on the island because we were there, every summer, for as long as I can remember...  I know that I miss the calls of the seagulls and other birds, I miss the salty smell of the sea, I miss the sulphuric smell of the local marsh mud, and I miss the smell of gutting fish and fresh oyster shells baking in the sun on the secondary roads.  I miss the sound of the waves lapping, or booming, on the beach, and the way that sound carries across the water or through the fog.  I even miss the mosquitos!- What a silly person I am.
  I had a delightful day at home with my kits yesterday.  And I enjoyed playing with Maggie May last night.  I did not enjoy having the door bell ring at 1:34 and 5:07 this morning.  By the time I actually awoke, found my glasses, put on a house coat, and made it to the door, no one was there.  Apparently Jose Sanchez arrived on schedule from Madrid, as there is a black Honda parked at the carriage house - I wonder if he rang the bell?
  I think I'll drive up to Nederland this afternoon to peek in the shops and visit the Carousel of Happiness....  I hope you have a good week.
  

Back-Burns Scare Boulder Residents Today

A lot of residents of Boulder called 911, the fire department, and the Sheriff's office today because they were unaware of planned "back-burns."  The fire specialists had marked areas yesterday that needed more protection to keep the fire from spreading, and, so, today, a lot of folks were concerned when they saw large smoke-plumes rising from Flagstaff.  Right now, I can smell the smoke from today's planned fires, which created barriers that the lightning-caused Flagstaff fire will not be able to jump.  It's a pretty drastic measure, but the wildfire situation in drought areas is pretty dire.  All I can think of at the moment, is King Charles, his brother, and Prince Rupert setting off explosions and counter fires in 1666 during the Great Fire of London...  At least the Ironing Board fire is totally contained, and the Flagstaff fire is over 80% contained.  Again, we can sleep easily.

Boulder OEM: "Calm"

The Boulder, Colordo Office of Emergency Management will not be holding any more media updates regarding the Flagstaff or Ironing Board fires.  They state that both fires are under control and that the area is "calm."  They did state that flare-ups might be visible, especially at night, but that the ground teams of fire fighters and the air attacks with both water and slurry have been very effective.  Boulder can "breathe easy" again - unless, of course, you suffer from asthma or any other pulmonary problems.  There is still smoke in the air, and the tiny ash particulates are very nasty for those suffering with COPD.   Will blog more later, after walking Rosie and Remy, and returning home to my kits.  (Maggie May is currently scolding me for not playing with her...)

Colorado Wildfire Photos

Hundreds of homes are lost in the Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs

Deer seek the sanctuary of a creek in the High Park fire near Fort Collins

On the out-skirts of Boulder, a fox drinks from a bird bath while vacating from the Flagstaff fire

Boulder's Flagstaff Fire Much Calmer

The pre-evacuation orders have been lifted, and the Boulder Office of Emergency Management has given out the following information:

Fire is 30 percent contained

No significant growth today and no significant growth expected overnight; still at 280-300 acres in size.

Heavy rain fell on the fire area Wednesday afternoon, increasing relative humidity.

Hard fire lines are in place on the west and south sides of the fire area;

East and north sides have no hard fire lines and are instead relying on fire retardant drops to form a barrier;

Weather tonight: 56-61 degrees F., 53-58 percent relative humidity, winds out of the west at 8-13 mph with gusts of 25-30 mph between 2 and 8 a.m.

No significant fire movement expeced overnight.

Random torching of trees is to be expected.

Fire crews will be working the fire all night. Severity Patrols -- fire crews in brush trucks -- will be patroling the neighborhoods bordering the fire area as well as evacuated areas along Flagstaff Road and Bison Drive looking for and putting out spot fires as they happen.

So far there are no structures damaged or destroyed, no injuries and no structures are threatened.

Because of progress made on the fire Wednesday and the cancellation of pre-evacuation status for nearby residents, the public call center and media/public information functions at the Boulder County Emergency Operations Center will cease operations at 8:30 p.m. tonight. A decision about whether or not the call center will be needed going forward will be made at a later time.

The next media briefing will be held at 7:30 a.m. June 28 at the Boulder County Sheriff's Headquarters, 5600 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder.

Boulder's Flagstaff Fire Photos

The fire on top of Flagstaff last night - June 26

Smoke rises above Flagstaff Mountain - early morning June 27

Sunrise view of the Flagstaff fire - June 27

Looks like we're in for another smoky day from Flagstaff - June 27

Nothing Has Changed So Far

The reports on the Boulder Flagstaff fire are still the same.  Infra-red imaging late last night indicates that the fire had burnt 230+ acres, not 300.  More than 160 fire fighters, on both the east and west sides of Flagstaff Mountain worked through the night, trying to keep the fire from spreading.  The 29 homes on the west side of Flagstaff are still standing.  The 2,400+ pre-evcuation notices are still standing for the area of south Boulder.  The temperatures are expected to be in the mid-90s today, and our ever-swirling and blowing mountain winds are due to pick up and blow between 20 and 35 mph this afternoon.
  I honestly feel that where I live will not be evacuated, unless something horrendous happens...  In a straight line, it's about a mile from the fire to my apartment, but, because I'm down in the valley, next to Boulder Creek, following the topography, it's actually between one and a half  to one and three-quarters miles away.  And the fire has to burn through NCAR, NOAA, NIST, and then through the University of Colorado campus before it gets to my abode.  With nasty winds, it could possibly make it's way here - but, at the moment, it doesn't seem as if it will happen.
   I do feel for those people in the High Park and Waldo Canyon fire areas - homes are going up like torches...  And I laughed out loud when I read a news report saying that the High Park fire was "nearly contained" - since when does a 65% containment of an area that is over 137 square miles "nearly contained?" It doesn't compute in my math book - especially with this mountainous and dry terrain!

Early Morning Report

I can see smoke rising from the top of Flagstaff Mountain, and from several areas on the east side of the ridge behind NCAR. The first news briefing will occur about 8:30 this morning.  It was cooler here over night, and the winds died down quite a bit.  We'll just have to wait and see what happens.
  More than 32,000 people were evacuated from their homes near Colorado Springs yesterday afternoon and evening.  A lot of homes were lost.  And the High Park fire, west of Fort Collins, has swallowed several more homes as well.  I'm off to walk the red kids before it gets too hot, and while the air quality is still half-way decent...

Boulder Fire Update

The wildfire smoke set off my smoke detector inside my apartment, so I've had to disable it already.  The fire has topped the ridge behind NCAR on Flagstaff Mountain.  Twenty-nine houses were originally evacuated - see the photos below.  Pre-evacuation reverse 911 calls have gone out to over 2,400 homes in south Boulder, with the eastern boundary being Broadway.  Broadway is only 14 blocks from my apartment.

 The smoke from the Boulder - Flagstaff fire as seen from one block south of my apartment.

The Flagstaff fire as seen from the evacuated houses on the west side of Flagstaff Mountain.

This photo was taken two blocks northeast of my apartment.

We have had a brief splatter of rain - not enough to even wet my shirt thoroughly.  I can see flames on top of Flagstaff from the front of my apartment building....  There was an informational press meeting set for this fire at 8:30; however, the local stations are covering the Waldo Canyon  Fire press update, as they have many more houses at stake to their fire at this time.....

Lovey is staying as close to me as possible; Nedi has gone into his hidey-hole in the closet.