Tag Archives: Waldo Canyon Fire

NASA satellite image reveals Waldo Canyon Fire’s burn scar

The Waldo Canyon Fire near Colorado Springs became a raging inferno and one of the most disastrous in Colorado history.  New satellite imagery released by NASA shows the massive area burned by the blaze and provides perspective as to just how close it came to the state’s second largest city.

Officials are hoping to announce 100% containment of the fire later today.  The blaze has burned 18,247 acres, the 11th largest in Colorado history.  More notably however the blaze claimed two lives and destroyed 346 homes making it the most destructive wildfire in the state’s history.

NASA’s Terra satellite flew over the burn area on July 4th and false color imaging provides a clear view of the burn area of the fire.  One can easily see where the fire entered the Mountain Shadows neighborhood and how close it came to the Air Force Academy and more populous areas of Colorado Springs.

7/4/12 - NASA Earth Observatory image showing the burn scar from the Waldo Canyon Fire.
7/4/12 - NASA Earth Observatory image showing the burn scar from the Waldo Canyon Fire.

Related stories from Examiner.com

From NASA:

The Waldo Canyon Fire was first reported on June 23, 2012, burning in Pike National Forest, three miles (5 kilometers) west of Colorado Springs. Fueled by extremely dry conditions and strong winds, it had burned 18,247 acres (74 square kilometers) by July 5. The blaze severely damaged or destroyed 346 homes, making it the most destructive fire in Colorado history. Mountain Shadows, a neighborhood northwest of the Colorado Springs city center, experienced some of the most severe damage. According to an analysis conducted by the Denver Post, the combined value of the homes that burned to the ground in the neighborhood was at least $110 million.

The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on the Terra satellite acquired this view of the burn scar on July 4, 2012, when the fire was still burning but was 90 percent contained. Vegetation-covered land is red in the false-color image, which includes both visible and infrared light. Patches of unburned forest are bright red, in contrast with areas where flecks of light brown indicate some burning. The darkest brown areas are the most severely burned. Buildings, roads, and other developed areas appear light gray and white. The bright red patches of vegetation near Colorado Springs are golf courses, parks, or other irrigated land.

Fire department video provides stunning inside look at the Waldo Canyon Fire

When the Waldo Canyon Fire was first reported on Saturday, June 23rd, reaction by area fire agencies was swift and for a time it appeared to be well in hand. The following Tuesday the blaze let loose with its full wrath however and a new video released by the Colorado Springs Fire Department shows the beast of a blaze as it tore through parts of the city. Read the rest of this story and watch the amazing video on Examiner.com.

Google and DigitalGlobe bring satellite view of Waldo Canyon Fire devastation

In only a week the Waldo Canyon Fire has scorched 17,000 acres and destroyed nearly 350 homes near Colorado Springs, Colorado. While thousands of residents remain evacuated, Google and DigitalGlobe have released satellite imagery providing a bird’s eye view of the devastation.  Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com.  Be sure to check out the stunning before and after photos in the slideshow.

Infrared satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe shows the devastation in a Colorado Springs neighborhood following the Waldo Canyon Fire. Image (c) 2012 DigitalGlobe, Inc.


President Barack Obama tours devastation of Colorado wildfires

With a charred landscape and the rubble of homes serving as a backdrop, President Barack Obama visited Colorado today. His tour of an area still battling an uncontrolled wildfire provided the president an opportunity to voice his support for a crucial swing state as he fears up for his reelection.  Read about the president had to say during his visit on Examiner.com.  Be sure to check out the video at the link – absolutely amazing.


U.S. Air Force activates entire fleet of C-130 firefighting aircraft

U.S. Northern Command has announced that it was activating all eight of its C-130 Hercules firefighting aircraft to battlewildfires across the western United States. The move brings to bear the aircraft’s significant capability in what has been a deadly fire season. Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com – be sure to check out the video here too.


Waldo Canyon Fire toll climbs: 1 dead, 1 missing, 346 homes destroyed

As firefighters continue to battle a large wildfire near Colorado Springs, the extent of destruction caused by the fire is now being realized. While assessments will continue in the coming days, it is now known that at least one person has been killed and nearly 350 homes destroyed. Get the latest on the fire and view new pictures of the blaze on Examiner.com

Smoke from the Waldo Canyon fire rises above evacuated homes, threatened by the fire, in Colorado Springs, Colorado June 28, 2012. Photo credit:  Getty Images


YouTube video shot by professional trainers shows start of Waldo Canyon Fire

A video posted to YouTube by professional trainers based in Colorado Springs shows the apparent early stages of the Waldo Canyon Fire on Saturday, June 23. Following the timeline in the video, it clearly shows the fire starting in the early afternoon and quickly becoming an inferno.  Read more about the harrowing escape and watch the video on Examiner.com



As wildfires rage, questions arise about lack of air tankers to fight the flames

Summer is barely a week old and yet hundreds of thousands of acres in the West have burned causing tens of millions of dollars in damage. As Colorado and New Mexico cope with record-setting disasters, many are asking questions about the lack of a competent air tanker fleet after a decade of decline.  Read more on Examiner.com about why President Barack Obama may face tough questions when he comes to Colorado tomorrow.

A U.S. Forest Service aircraft breaks away as a Modular Airborne Firefighting System-equipped C-130 begins dropping retardant on the Waldo Canyon fire. Photo credit:  U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher

Photos capture Waldo Canyon Fire threat to U.S. Air Force Academy

Tuesday afternoon the Waldo Canyon Fire west of Colorado Springs exploded with extraordinary ferocity.  The blaze moved toward the Air Force Academy prompting the base to evacuate some personnel.

The scene that evening was an eerie one as the sky was darkened by the smoke and the setting sun provided an orange cast.  Click here to view a slideshow on Examiner.com of some amazing photos from the academy as the flames encroached.

A rapidly spreading smoke cloud surrounds the U.S. Air Force Academy's T-38 in Colorado Springs, Colo., June 26, 2012.  Click the image to view a slideshow of the fire near the academy. (U.S. Air Force Photo/ Mike Kaplan)
A rapidly spreading smoke cloud surrounds the U.S. Air Force Academy's T-38 in Colorado Springs, Colo., June 26, 2012. Click the image to view a slideshow of the fire near the academy. (U.S. Air Force Photo/ Mike Kaplan)