Colorado Fires

We have had an unusually hot and dry summer and with that comes forest fires.  The past couple years the Rocky Mountains have been plagued by the Pine Beetle (which devoured and killed miles of forest) and now Colorado is burning.  There are have been fire, charcoal and gasoline bans throughout the state but the terrible fires have continued. 

 

The High Park Fire (in Ft Collins), which started on June 9 from a lightning strike, had burned 20,000 acres and a total of 18 structures have been destroyed or damaged by June 11.  On June 12 the fire had grown over 50% at 41,140 acres with 0 percent containment. By the end of June it had destroyed a total of 259 homes, used over 1,125 firefighters  and brought the cost of fighting the fire to an estimated $36.4 million. 

 

By June 30th the fire was contained; in the end the fire killed one person, destroyed 259 homes and burnt over 87,284 acres. This fire is  the second-largest and second-most destructive fire in Colorado history. What is sad is that this is not the only devastating fire in Colorado. There have been several more in Colorado Springs and near Boulder. The prayers and fasting of the people in Colorado and across the nation finally began to work because by July 6th there was rain.