Fire Day 2

The Fourmile Canyon Fire is still going. They have estimated that it will take another ten days before they are able to contain the blaze. I was doing a balloon launch on Tuesday and had some time to take pictures of the helicopter flying back and forth to the foothills. I also got a couple of pictures from the parking lot at work which show just how close and visible the blaze is to town.

The helicopter which will use the hose to fill up at the reservoirs before flying over to fight the fire.
The view of the foothills from the parking lot at work. A few pockets made their way in to view and black clouds lifted to mingle with the general haze of the fire.

And then I just had a few other pictures from the first night: 9/6/2010

View from Space

A NASA image of the fire yesterday at the start of the blaze.

Four Mile Canyon Fire

The foothills of Boulder are on fire tonight. The blaze is pretty bad and heading towards a lot of people's houses. Thankfully the winds have finally died down. Hopefully we can get this thing contained, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be very bad. This morning, upon seeing the dark plume of smoke crossing the sky, I had the same feeling I had the day I heard about the oil rig sinking in the gulf. I hope this doesn't turn out the same way. It makes me sad though to see the forest going up in flames.
These pictures are from the Flagstaff Road Lookout. I am looking Northwest toward Boulder Canyon. Four Mile Canyon leads north from the canyon road.

Labor Day Fire

I was just putting some leftover thai curry in to the microwave when my uncle walked in the door and asked me if I had looked outside. A fire had just started in the foothills outside of Boulder and dark, billowing clouds were rolling across the sky.

I drove to get my camera and then Shondia and I went up to the I-36 overlook to take some pictures.
The news was reporting that the fire was in Four Mile Canyon and evacuation orders had been issued for the neighboring area and that some structures were in danger.
The smoke billowing across the I36 bridge in Superior, 8 miles south of Boulder.

The University of Colorado in the haze of smoke.
Hopefully they can put the fire out soon and it doesn't spread too much. The wind is supposed to calm down tonight which should help out.

Caribou Sunset

I forgot to include a picture of the sunset we were fortunate enough to witness before the cold drizzle sent us hunkering in to the tent and I proceeded to receive a brutal shellacking at Scrabble.

At least the pre-game and post-game experience balanced out being on the wrong end of fifty point words...

Also, GO BUCKS!!!