They’ve had a couple of blurbs about a big Wildfire around 10 miles South of Walsh (the town I grew-up in) on 9News, but that seems to be all of the more information there is out there about it. Sounds like they are supposed to get some sort of air support today, and that there are 11 fire trucks on the scene (which is way more than there are in Baca County.)
Typically these big fires in that area are started by lightning, but they are usually able to put them out themselves. Three houses doesn’t sound like much, but given that the fire is out in the middle of nowhere, it must be huge to be threating 3 houses.. unfortunately the area they are mentioning sounds like it could be where a couple of good family friends live. Not to mention no one down there has anything– a fire would be very devastating to pretty much anyone, there.
My dad is a volunteer firefighter in Walsh, and I can’t get ahold of him. I feel compelled to drive down to see if there is anything I can do to help, or at least try to get ahold of them to see if there are any supplies that they need, but I’m sure the community is doing everything they can. That’s just how small towns are. Hopefully everything works-out and everyone will be okay.
Update @ 12:50 PM: I finally got in touch with my dad and things are fine. Apparently they got all of the fires out at around 1 AM. The biggest one was around 15 miles wide(!) and around 20 feet tall at it’s peak. Luckily it sounds like it was burning in an area which was nothing but grassland, so no one was hurt or injured, and no property of value was destroyed. It was started by “dry lightning”, which is basically lightning without any rain.. happens all the time down there, it’s bizarre.
That’s pretty amazing that the volunteer fire departments in the area were able to take care of those fires before the air support was called in. And here I was getting ready to make a trip down there as I couldn’t get ahold of any of my family there.
He was out on a tractor plowing a field listening to XM Radio when I called.. that kills me. Yes, Verizon Wireless coverage really is that good.
Update @ 6/6: Looks like the Denver Post has a pretty inaccurate article up about it, unless another fire started on Saturday?
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