I posted details on WPSMB but know alot of you on this site too. I have received alot of phone calls & many e mails asking for info. My wife and I live on the SouthEast side of C. Springs and the fire, which now is over 30 sq miles, is on the NorthWest side of the city. It was started by an arsonist and thus far 347 homes have burned down with 1 person dead in one of those 347 and another person in that home missing. Both my kids are OK but had to be mandatorily evacuated from their different areas near the fire. My sons home is near the main part of the fire now but his place is OK and he is staying in C. Springs. My daughters place is well away from the fire but in an area that the fire officials felt was possibly in danger. But now they are allowing some people to return to their homes Ok. My daughter missed returning home by a 2 block margin as they drew the map for those to return on a major road and they live just north of that. This is the worst fire in modern day Colorado history with one some 150 years ago being alot worse.

Thanks for your interest and concern.

Ernie

Incredible aerial footage of Colorado wildfire tankers (radio chatter included). USAF National Guard C-130′s line up in positions behind the spotter aircraft. This type of flying requires great precision. Brave crews doing dangerous work.



Found at AirInsight.

Thanks for showing our Air Force men and women at work. Notice that the radio chatter is all business, with no "Top Gun", infantile BS. GO AIR FORCE!

As a retired AF guy I agree completely with Bob. Things are pretty much back to normal for us now. Both kids are back in their homes. The firecrews and aerial water and slurry drops have been outstanding. Containment should be done in a couple of weeks as the fire continues to slowly burn. After that hot spots will be present for several weeks.

One of the reasons my sons town, Green Mt Falls, took so long to be opened back up was the sudden invasion of BEARS. With no people around and alot of garbage cans waiting to be picked up by the trash service for about a week, the bears just decided this was a picnic waiting to happen. Also they found fresh drinking water and a place to swim in the town lake. The officials had some trouble chasing them out of town but all is well now.

Firefighting is certainly dangerous! A MAFFS C130 was lost yesterday in South Dakota. More info here.

...reporting that two or three survived — reports differ about the number.

Update: The C-130 that went down in Fall River County was carrying an Air Force crew of six. As of now, four are unaccounted for ... one has been taken to Rapid City Regional Hospital via Life Flight ... another taken by ground ambulance.