COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Fire crews fought to save the U.S. Air Force Academy and residents begged for information on the fate of their homes Wednesday after a night of terror sent thousands of people fleeing a raging Colorado Springs wildfire.
More than 30,000 have been displaced by the fire, including thousands who frantically packed up belongings Tuesday night after it barreled into neighborhoods in the foothills west and north of Colorado’s second-largest city. With flames looming overhead, they clogged roads shrouded in smoke and flying embers, their fear punctuated by explosions of bright orange flame that signaled yet another house had been claimed.
“The sky was red, the wind was blowing really fast and there were embers falling from the sky,” said Simone Covey, a 26-year-old mother of three who fled an apartment near Garden of the Gods park and was staying at a shelter. “I didn’t really have time to think about it. I was just trying to keep my kids calm.”
Wilma Juachon sat under a tree at an evacuation center, wearing a mask to block the smoke. A tourist from California, she was evacuated from a fire near Rocky Mountain National Park last week and, now, from her Colorado Springs hotel.
“I said I hope it never happens again, and guess what?” Juachon said.
Shifting winds challenged firefighters trying to contain the 29-square-mile Waldo Canyon blaze and extinguish hot spots inside the city’s western suburbs. Winds were calmer Wednesday night.
Some 3,000 more people were evacuated to the west of the fire, Teller County authorities said Wednesday, and Teller County courts were closed through Thursday.
Meanwhile, the White House said President Barack Obama will tour fire-stricken areas of Colorado on Friday and thank firefighters battling some of the worst fires to hit the American West in decades.
Colorado Springs Police Chief Peter Carey said Obama’s visit to Colorado, considered a key battleground state in the presidential election, would not tax the city’s already-strained police force. Gov. John Hickenlooper said he expected the president might sign a disaster declaration that would allow for more federal aid.
The full scope of the fire remained unknown. So intense were the flames and so thick the smoke that rescue workers weren’t able to tell residents which structures were destroyed and which ones were still standing. Steve Cox, a spokesman for Mayor Steve Bach, reported that at least dozens of homes had been consumed.
Indeed, authorities were too busy Wednesday struggling to save homes in near-zero visibility to count how many had been destroyed in what is the latest test for a drought-parched and tinder-dry state. Crews also were battling a deadly and destructive wildfire in northern Colorado and another that flared Tuesday night near Boulder.
Carey said officials had no plans to release the numbers of homes destroyed – insisting residents have a right to be told first, in private.
FBI spokesman Dave Joly said federal investigators are working closely with local and state law enforcement to determine if any of Colorado’s fires were deliberately set or resulted from criminal activity. He did not elaborate.
Colorado Springs Fire Chief Rich Brown said his personnel heroically saved many homes in the midst of the firestorm. The strategy: protecting houses adjacent to those in flames to prevent a domino effect and then racing to the next suburban hot spot, a technique he called “triage.” Federal firefighters worked with U.S. Army bulldozer crews from nearby Fort Carson to create perimeter lines.
The Waldo Canyon Fire burned about 10 acres along the southwest boundary of the Air Force Academy campus. No injuries or damage to structures – including the iconic Cadet Chapel – were reported.
Academy officials were relocating about 550 cadets off academy grounds late Wednesday. About 200 cadets in summer academics were being moved to the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, and 350 others in airmanship and other training programs were released to local sponsor families, the school said. The cadet area isn’t immediately threatened, and an incoming class of more than 1,000 is still scheduled to arrive Thursday.
Fort Carson had 121 soldiers building firebreaks around parts of the academy, aided by equipment including 10 heavy bulldozers, four excavators, 13 military transportation and support vehicles, and one commercial road grader, Army officials said.
The Red Cross was accommodating victims at its shelters, with space enough for perhaps 2,500 people. Most evacuees were staying with family and friends.
Colorado wasn’t the only state affected by fire, as several burned throughout the parched West.
Tom Harbour, director of fire and aviation management for the U.S. Forest Service, said that with several fires burning, there is competition for firefighting resources, but “we’re still at a point where we’ve got lots of available assets to mix and match on individual incidents.”
Harbour said there’s a difference between what incident commanders want and what they need to fight a fire effectively. And despite some criticism, he said the agency has been working to get equipment where it’s needed most. Four military C-130 tankers, which can each carry up to 3,000 gallons of water, are positioned to cover the blazes burning near Colorado Springs and Fort Collins, as well as the entire Front Range if another fire were to break out, he said. At total of 18 air tankers were assigned to wildfires across the region.
Overall, there have been fewer fires and less acreage burned for the first six months of the year than for the same period in the previous six years. Some states are seeing fires earlier this year, but Harbour said resources are far from being exhausted.
“With over 10,000 firefighters in the Forest Service and the ability to get over 700 aircraft of all types, we’re feeling cautiously confident when you look at the season as a whole,” Harbour said.
_ A central Utah wildfire has destroyed at least 56 structures, mainly homes, and continues to burn with little containment, authorities said Wednesday. Officials expected the damage estimate to rise considerably as they continue their assessment of the fire-ravaged area between Fountain Green and Fairview and north across the Utah County line. Authorities were about halfway through their damage assessment of a fire that has burned about 72 square miles. Officials returned to an evacuated area and found a woman dead Tuesday.
_ Wildfires that have torched more than 200 square miles and burned dozens of homes in southeastern Montana spread farther Wednesday, with additional evacuations ordered after a blaze south of Roundup jumped a perimeter line built by firefighters. The growing Dahl fire, which has burned more than 60 homes by one estimate, forced an unknown number of residents to leave their homes near its southern flank, on top of an estimated 600 people evacuated the day before.
“That’s one of the most dangerous fires in the history of Montana,” Gov. Brian Schweitzer said.
_ A wildfire in the Bridger-Teton National Forest has grown from about 2,000 acres to 12,000 acres, or nearly 19 square miles, officials said Wednesday. Authorities worked to get campers out of the area.
Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, N.M., and Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyo., contributed to this report.
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A helicopters flies over as the Waldo Canyon Fire continues to burn Wednesday, June 27, 2012, in Colorado Springs, Colo. The wildfire doubled in size overnight to about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers), and has so far forced mandatory evacuations for more than 32,000 residents. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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A helicopter flies over as the Waldo Canyon Fire continues to burn Wednesday, June 27, 2012, in Colorado Springs, Colo. The wildfire doubled in size overnight to about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers), and has so far forced mandatory evacuations for more than 32,000 residents.(AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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A slurry bomber drops fire retardant on the Waldo Canyon Fire Wednesday, June 27, 2012, in Colorado Springs, Colo. The wildfire doubled in size overnight to about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers), and has so far forced mandatory evacuations for more than 32,000 residents. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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The sun sets on the front range where the Waldo Canyon Fire continues to burn Wednesday, June 27, 2012, in Colorado Springs, Colo. The wildfire doubled in size overnight to about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers), and has so far forced mandatory evacuations for more than 32,000 residents. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Pikes Peak is shrouded in orange smoke as the Waldo Canyon Fire continues to burn Wednesday, June 27, 2012, in Colorado Springs, Colo. The wildfire doubled in size overnight to about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers), and has so far forced mandatory evacuations for more than 32,000 residents. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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This aerial photo taken on Wednesday, June 27, 2012, shows burned homes in the Mountain Shadows residential area of Colorado Springs, Colo., that were destroyed by the Waldo Canyon wildfire. More than 30,000 have been displaced by the fire, including thousands who frantically packed up belongings Tuesday night after it barreled into neighborhoods in the foothills west and north of Colorado’s second-largest city. (AP Photo/John Wark)
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A helicopter flies past the charred mountainside above Queens Canyon as the Waldo Canyon Fire burns Wednesday, June 27, 2012, in Colorado Springs, Colo. The wildfire doubled in size overnight to about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers), and has so far forced mandatory evacuations for more than 32,000 residents. (AP Photo/The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)
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A plume of smoke rises from Ute Pass in the direction of Woodland Park as the Waldo Canyon Fire burns Wednesday, June 27, 2012, in Colorado Springs, Colo. The wildfire doubled in size overnight to about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers), and has so far forced mandatory evacuations for more than 32,000 residents. (AP Photo/The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)
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A helicopter heads out for a drop to battle the Waldo Canyon Fire north and west of Colorado Springs, Colo., on Wednesday, June 27, 2012. The wildfire doubled in size overnight to about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers), and has so far forced mandatory evacuations for more than 32,000 residents. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
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After being grounded for hours by high winds, a helicopter takes off to battle the Waldo Canyon Fire north and west of Colorado Springs, Colo., on Wednesday, June 27, 2012. The wildfire doubled in size overnight to about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers), and has so far forced mandatory evacuations for more than 32,000 residents. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
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A helicopter drops water as the Waldo Canyon Fire burns Wednesday, June 27, 2012, in Colorado Springs, Colo. The wildfire doubled in size overnight to about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers), and has so far forced mandatory evacuations for more than 32,000 residents. (AP Photo/The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
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Helicopters fly over as the Waldo Canyon Fire burns Wednesday, June 27, 2012, in Colorado Springs, Colo. The wildfire doubled in size overnight to about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers), and has so far forced mandatory evacuations for more than 32,000 residents. (AP Photo/The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
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A helicopter drops water as the Waldo Canyon Fire burns Wednesday, June 27, 2012, in Colorado Springs, Colo. The wildfire doubled in size overnight to about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers), and has so far forced mandatory evacuations for more than 32,000 residents. (AP Photo/The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
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Small fires smolder in the Mountain Shadows area as the Waldo Canyon Fire burns on Wednesday, June 27, 2012, in Colorado Springs, Colo. The wildfire doubled in size overnight to about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers), and has so far forced mandatory evacuations for more than 32,000 residents. (AP Photo/The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
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Some homes are left scorched by The Waldo Canyon Fire, while others survived, in the Mountain Shadows area of Colorado Springs, Colo., Wednesday, June 27, 2012. The wildfire doubled in size overnight to about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers), and has so far forced mandatory evacuations for more than 32,000 residents. (AP Photo/The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire
Fire from the Waldo Canyon wildfire as it moved into subdivisions and destroyed homes in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Gaylon Wampler)
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Parkside neighborhood in Mt. Shadows.
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire
A plume of smoke rises behind homes on the Waldo Canyon wildfire west of Colorado Springs, Colo., on Wednesday, June 27, 2012. A large number of homes were destroyed by the fire Tuesday night in subdivisions west of Colorado Springs. Authorities say it remains too dangerous for them to fully assess the damage from a destructive wildfire threatening Colorado’s second-largest city. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
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Homes are destroyed by the Waldo Canyon fire in the Mountain Shadows area of Colorado Springs, Colo., on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. A stubborn and towering wildfire jumped firefighters’ perimeter lines in the hills overlooking Colorado Springs, forcing frantic mandatory evacuation notices for more than 9,000 residents. (AP Photo/The Gazette,Jerilee Bennett)
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire
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Western Wild Fires
Flames and smoke from the Waldo Canyon Fire surround a home as it races down into western portions of Colorado Springs, Colo. on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 leaving a trail of destruction and burning homes and buildings in it’s path. Heavily populated areas in the fire’s path have been affected. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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CO Wildfire 2012
Veiw from Garden of Gods Road
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire
Fire from the Waldo Canyon wildfire as it moved into subdivisions and destroyed homes in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Gaylon Wampler)
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Western Wild Fires
Flames of the Waldo Canyon Fire races down into western portions of Colorado Springs, Colo. on Tuesday, June 26, 201. The flames approach a residential neighborhood heading north and leaving a trail of destruction, burning homes and buildings in it’s path. Heavily populated areas in the fire’s path have been affected. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Western Wild Fires
Flames from the Waldo Canyon Fire move quickly move through the western side Colorado Springs, Colo. causing several structures and homes to burn on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. The fire made a massive run late in the day leaving a trail of destruction, and burning homes and buildings in it’s path. Heavily populated areas in the fire’s path have been affected. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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The Waldo Canyon Fire begins to burn homes north of Garden of the Gods Road in northwest Colorado Springs, Colo., on the fourth day of the blaze Tuesday, June 26, 2012. (AP Photo/The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
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Houses in the Mountain Shadows area of Colorado Springs, Colorado ignite due to the Waldo Canyon fire on Wednesday, June 26, 2012. (AP Photo/The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire
A helicopter tries to put out fire on the Waldo Canyon wildfire as it moved into subdivisions and destroyed homes in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Gaylon Wampler)
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire
A plume of smoke is seen over Interstate 25 as the Waldo Canyon wildfire moved into subdivisions and destroyed homes in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Gaylon Wampler)
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire
A helicopter tries to put out fire on the Waldo Canyon wildfire as it moved into subdivisions and destroyed homes in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Gaylon Wampler)
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire
Fire from the Waldo Canyon wildfire as it moved into subdivisions and destroyed homes in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Gaylon Wampler)
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire
Fire from the Waldo Canyon wildfire burns as it moved into subdivisions and destroyed homes in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Gaylon Wampler)
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A plane flies through a rising plume of smoke from the Waldo Canyon Fire near Colorado Springs, Colo. on Monday, June 25, 2012. The fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado as of Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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A helicopter battles the Waldo Canyon Fire near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. The fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado as of Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire, Rich Brown
Colorado Springs Fire Chief Rich Brown, right, speaks at a briefing on the Waldo Canyon wildfire in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Wednesday, June 27, 2012. Authorities say it remains too dangerous for them to fully assess the damage from a destructive wildfire threatening Colorado’s second-largest city. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
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Mitch Rowley, a firefighter with the the Colorado Springs Fire Department Task Force I unit, keeps an eye on the Waldo Canyon Fire from a northwestern neighborhood in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Monday, June 25, 2012. The fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado as of Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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People watch from Mesa Road as the Waldo Canyon Fire burns near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. The fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado as of Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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A helicopter and another aircraft battle the Waldo Canyon Fire near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. The fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado as of Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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A helicopter battles the Waldo Canyon Fire near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. The fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado as of Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire
A firefighting helicopter flies over burned trees as it goes to refill its bucket while fighting the Waldo Canyon wildfire west of Manitou Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire
The Waldo Canyon wildfire blazes through tree tops west of Manitou Springs, Colo., Monday, June 25, 2012. The Waldo Canyon fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado on Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday, June 23, but no homes have been destroyed. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire
A plume of smoke rises above the Waldo Canyon wildfire west of Manitou Springs, Colo., on Monday afternoon, June 25, 2012. The fire, one of at least eight wildfires in Colorado on Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday, June 23, but no homes have been destroyed. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire
A plume of smoke rises above the Waldo Canyon fire west of Manitou Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. The fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado on Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday, June 23, but no homes have been destroyed. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
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A helicopter drops water on a wildfire near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. On Saturday, a blaze destroyed 21 structures near the mountain community of Estes Park. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Susan Fox and her daughter Kaylehana, 4, watch the Waldo Canyon Fire burn near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. The fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado as of Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Waldo Canyon Fire
A raven sits in a barren tree as the sun sets near a wildfire west of Colorado Springs, Colo. on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted Saturday and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Waldo Canyon Fire
Manitou Springs residents try to return home after being evacuated as a wildfire continues to burn west of Colorado Springs, Colo. on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted Saturday and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Waldo Canyon Fire
Smoke clouds Manitou Avenue in Manitou Springs as a wildfire continues to burn west of Colorado Springs, Colo. on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted Saturday and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Waldo Canyon Fire
The sun sets as a wildfire continues to burn west of Colorado Springs, Colo. on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted Saturday and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Susannah Kay)
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Waldo Canyon Fire
People watch from Mesa Road as a wildfire continues to burn west of Colorado Springs, Colo. on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted Saturday and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Susannah Kay)
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Waldo Canyon Fire
The sun sets as seen from Lower Gold Camp Road as a wildfire continues to burn west of Colorado Springs, Colo. on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted Saturday and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Susannah Kay)
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A wildfire burns by Cedar Heights, a gated community near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)
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Waldo Canyon wildfire
Fire burns behind homes on the Waldo Canyon wildfire west of Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. As many as 5,000 people are still evacuated from their homes because of the fire that began Saturday. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
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Waldo Canyon wildfire
Fire burns behind homes on the Waldo Canyon wildfire west of Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. As many as 5,000 people are still evacuated from their homes because of the fire that began Saturday. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
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Waldo Canyon Fire
A helicopter heads towards a reservoir in the Kissing Camels Resort to collect water in efforts to fight the Waldo Canyon Fire on Monday, June 25, 2012 in Colorado Springs, Colo. (AP Photo/The Gazette, Susannah Kay)
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Traffic moves as smoke billows from a wildfire west of Colorado Springs, Colo. on Saturday, June 23, 2012. The fire has grown to an estimated 600 acres and The Gazette reports authorities are evacuating the exclusive Cedar Heights neighborhood as well as the Garden of the Gods nature center. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Stephanie Stover, with the City of Colorado Springs, directs traffic away after a mandatory evacuation was announced for the Garden of The Gods due to a wildfire burning west of Colorado Springs, Colo. on Saturday, June 23, 2012. The fire has grown to an estimated 600 acres and The Gazette reports authorities are evacuating the exclusive Cedar Heights neighborhood as well as the Garden of the Gods. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Colorado Springs Fire
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Colorado Springs Fire
The evening sky glows orange as smoke and flames from the Waldo Canyon Fire has consumed 2500 acres west of Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Colo. on Saturday, June 23, 2012. The fire is zero percent contained. Voluntary and mandatory evacuations were taking place across the west side of Colorado Springs. Tankers were dropping fire retardant in front of the advancing flames. ( AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Colorado Springs Fire
A giant plume from the Waldo Canyon Fire hovers high above Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Colo. on Saturday, June 23, 2012. The fire is zero percent contained and has consumed 2500 acres. Voluntary and mandatory evacuations were taking place across the west side of Colorado Springs. Tankers were dropping fire retardant in front of the advancing flames. ( AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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A slurry plane flies through smoke from a wildfire burning west of Manitou Springs, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Christian Murdock)
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Smoke billows from a wildfire burning near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. On Saturday, a blaze destroyed 21 structures near the mountain community of Estes Park. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Smoke billows from a wildfire burning near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. On Saturday, a blaze destroyed 21 structures near the mountain community of Estes Park. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Smoke billows from a wildfire burning near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. On Saturday, a blaze destroyed 21 structures near the mountain community of Estes Park. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Smoke billows from a wildfire burning near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. On Saturday, a blaze destroyed 21 structures near the mountain community of Estes Park. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Smoke billows from a wildfire burning near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. On Saturday, a blaze destroyed 21 structures near the mountain community of Estes Park. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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A helicopter drops water on a wildfire near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. On Saturday, a blaze destroyed 21 structures near the mountain community of Estes Park. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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A wildfire burns west of Manitou Springs, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Christian Murdock)
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Smoke billows from a wildfire burning near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. On Saturday, a blaze destroyed 21 structures near the mountain community of Estes Park. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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A helicopter flies over a wildfire burning west of Manitou Springs, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Christian Murdock)
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A helicopter battles a wildfire near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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A wildfire burns near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire
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A deer jumps through a fence along U.S. Highway 24 near Manitou Springs, Colo., as a wildfire burns near Cascade, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Christian Murdock)
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire, Manitou Springs
The Waldo Canyon wildfire burns on a ridge west of Manitou Springs, Colo., Monday, June 25, 2012. The Waldo Canyon fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado on Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday, June 23, but no homes have been destroyed. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
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Waldo Canyon Wildfire, Manitou Springs
The Waldo Canyon wildfire burns on a ridge west of Manitou Springs, Colo., Monday, June 25, 2012. The Waldo Canyon fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado on Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday, June 23, but no homes have been destroyed. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
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Ken Anderson, a firefighter with the the Colorado Springs Fire Department Task Force I unit, takes a weather reading as large plume of smoke rises from the Waldo Canyon Fire burning near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. The fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado as of Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Simon Wach, right, his sister Susan Fox and her daughter Karalea watch a plume of smoke rise from the Waldo Canyon Fire burning near Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. The fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado as of Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Waldo Canyon fire evacuee Amanda Hughes plays a game in the gymnasium at Cheyenne Mountain High School evacuation center in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. The Waldo Canyon fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado on Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday, June 23, but no homes have been destroyed. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Waldo Canyon Fire evacuees Tim and Amanda Hughes play games in the gymnasium at Cheyenne Mountain High School evacuation center in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. The Waldo Canyon fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado on Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday, June 23, but no homes have been destroyed. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Waldo Canyon Fire evacuee Michelle Hughes uses a computer at Cheyenne Mountain High School evacuation center in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. The Waldo Canyon fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado on Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday, June 23, but no homes have been destroyed. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Waldo Canyon fire evacuee Terry Jackson tends to his two-month old daughter Serenity at Cheyenne Mountain High School evacuation center in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. The Waldo Canyon fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado on Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday, June 23, but no homes have been destroyed. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Geraldine Webb, of Manitous Springs, Colo., receives lunch at Cheyenne Mountain High School evacuation center in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. The Waldo Canyon fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado on Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday, June 23, but no homes have been destroyed. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Waldo Canyon Fire evacuee Teresa Gray, center, makes a plate of food for her husband Sherman at Cheyenne Mountain High School evacuation center in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. The Waldo Canyon fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado on Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday, June 23, but no homes have been destroyed. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Waldo Canyon Fire evacuees line up for lunch at Cheyenne Mountain High School evacuation center in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. The Waldo Canyon fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado on Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday, June 23, but no homes have been destroyed. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Waldo Canyon Fire evacuees line up for lunch at Cheyenne Mountain High School evacuation center in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday, June 25, 2012. The Waldo Canyon fire, one of at least a half-dozen wildfires in Colorado on Monday, has blackened 5.3 square miles and displaced about 6,000 people since it started Saturday, June 23, but no homes have been destroyed. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Colo. fires
“This is a photo of the home my brother built himself N of Ft. Collins, CO., 9500ft up the mountain. You see nothing is left.” — Nancy Lit
Image courtesy of Nancy Lit
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Firefighter Helicopter Filling Up At Lake Estes
Fighting Woodland Heights Fire in Estes Park CO while the High Park Fire rages in the background
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A wildfire burns near Cascade, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Christian Murdock)
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Waldo Canyon Fire
People watch from Lower Gold Camp Road as a wildfire continues to burn west of Colorado Springs, Colo. on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted Saturday and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Susannah Kay)
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Christina Morris watches from Coronado High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., as a wildfire burns nearby on Sunday, June 24, 2012. Morris began to prepare in the event she and her family, who live near Garden of the Gods Road, need to evacuate. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)
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Animals from evacuated areas of Colorado Springs, Colo., are housed at the local Humane Society on Sunday, June 24, 2012, as a wildfire continues to burn nearby. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)
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Greg Bodine hugs his wife, Karen Bodine, as they watch a wildfire burn from the roof of her parents’ home in Cascade, Colo., on Sunday, June 24, 2012. The fire erupted and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. (AP Photo/The Colorado Springs Gazette, Christian Murdock)
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Estes Park Wildfire
In this Saturday, June 23, 2012 photo provided by Darrell Spangler, a firefighter works the scene of a home being consumed by flames in Estes Park, Colo. As many as 21 structures were destroyed by the fire on Saturday. Eight separate wildfires are burning across Colorado, which is seeing record-breaking heat. (AP Photo/Darrell Spangler) MANDATORY CREDIT
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Estes Park Wildfire
In this Saturday, June 23, 2012 photo provided by Darrell Spangler, fire consumes a home in Estes Park, Colo. As many as 21 structures were destroyed by the fire on Saturday. Eight separate wildfires are burning across Colorado, which is seeing record-breaking heat. (AP Photo/Darrell Spangler) MANDATORY CREDIT
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Estes Park Wildfire
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A U.S. Forest Service truck heads down Larimer County Road 74W as a wildfire continues to burn near Livermore, Colo., on Saturday, June 23, 2012. Authorities sent out 992 evacuation notices Friday due to the wildfire burning on more than 100 square miles in northern Colorado as winds pick up. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
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A flower stands along Larimer County Road 74W as a wildfire continues to burn near Livermore, Colo., on Saturday, June 23, 2012. Authorities sent out 992 evacuation notices Friday due to the wildfire burning on more than 100 square miles in northern Colorado as winds pick up. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
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Smoke billows from a wildfire west of Colorado Springs, Colo. on Saturday, June 23, 2012. The fire has grown to an estimated 600 acres and The Gazette reports authorities are evacuating the exclusive Cedar Heights neighborhood as well as the Garden of the Gods nature center. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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Smoke billows from a wildfire west of Colorado Springs, Colo. on Saturday, June 23, 2012. The fire has grown to an estimated 600 acres and The Gazette reports authorities are evacuating the exclusive Cedar Heights neighborhood as well as the Garden of the Gods nature center. (AP Photo/Bryan Oller)
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High Park Wildfire
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High Park Wildfire
The sun sets behind a plume of smoke from the High Park wildfire near Livermore , Colo., on Friday, June 22, 2012. The fire is burning on more than 68,000 acres west of Fort Collins and has destroyed at least 189 homes (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
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High Park Wildfire
A slurry bomber drops retardant on the High Park wildfire after it crossed to the north side of Poudre Canyon and threatened homes in the Glacier View area near Livermore , Colo., on Friday, June 22, 2012. The fire is burning on more than 68,000 acres west of Fort Collins and has destroyed at least 189 homes (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
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High Park Wildfire
Fire burns behind homes north of Poudre Canyon in the Glacier View area near Livermore, Colo., on Friday, June 22, 2012. The fire is burning on more than 68,000 acres west of Fort Collins and has destroyed at least 189 homes (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
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In a photo made on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, and made available on Wednesday by the Colorado National Guard, firefighters from the Monument, Colo., fire department march to dinner at sunset in a base camp near the High Park wildfire about 15 miles west of Fort Collins, Colo.(AP Photo/Colorado National Guard, John Rohrer)
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In this June 19, 2012 photo provided by the Colorado National Guard, an aircraft drops a load of fire retardant slurry above the High Park wildfire about 15 miles west of Fort Collins, Colo. The ammonium phosphate dropped from airplanes to slow the spread of raging wildfires can turn a pristine mountain stream into a death zone for trout and some say the retardant has never been proven effective. (AP Photo/Colorado National Guard, John Rohrer)
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Leadville fire. Image a href=”http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150995380666749set=o.263743636076type=1ref=nf” target=”_hplink”via Facebook/a.
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Leadville fire. Image a href=”http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150984157103076set=p.10150984157103076type=1ref=nf” target=”_hplink”via Facebook/a.
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Estes Park fire. Image a href=”http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3749510029298set=p.3749510029298type=1ref=nf” target=”_hplink”via Facebook/a.
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Mancos fire. a href=”http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=140838636053743set=o.263743636076type=1ref=nf” target=”_hplink”Image via Facebook/a.
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Mancos fire. Imagea href=”http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2894645984892set=p.2894645984892type=1ref=nf” target=”_hplink” via Facebook/a.
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Pyramid fire. Image a href=”http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151039306431181set=p.10151039306431181type=1ref=nf” target=”_hplink”via Facebook/a.
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Flagstaff Fire
Boulder Flagstaff Fire from Daniel’s Park
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June 28th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda 
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