Indeed thank God dear lady.

Yes it is. Prayers are going out for you sir.

Over 400 People Served On Disaster Recovery Center’s 1st Day

The disaster recovery center established for families impacted by the Waldo Canyon Fire served more than 400 people Saturday, the first day of operations.

The center is located at 105 North Spruce Street and offers a centralized location where anyone affected by the fire can find resources. Those resources include:

Colorado Office of Emergency Management (DOLA)
Pikes Peak Regional Building Department
Colorado Springs Utilities
Colorado Springs Emergency Management
AspenPointe (Mental Health Services)
El Paso County Veterans Services Office
United Way of the Pikes Peak Region
Care and Share (Community Food Bank)
Allstate, State Farm, Farmers, USAA, Safeco, American Family, AAA, Traveller’s, Liberty Mutual and many other Insurance Companies
Peak Vista (Community Health)
SET Health Services
Red Cross of the Pikes Peak Region
CSU Extension Service
Colorado Division of Insurance
Verizon Wireless
Century Link
BlySky Restoration
Liberty Mutual Reconstruction Team
Pikes Peak Association of Realtors
CRS Temporary Housing
Cisco
AT&T

The disaster recovery center is open daily from 9:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. The only exception is July 4th, when it will be open between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

“We wanted to provide a central location for those who have been impacted by this fire directly to come and reconstruct their lives,” County Commissioner Sallie Clark said.

With a little bit of rain, firefighters say they were able to boost containment around the Waldo Canyon fire to 45 percent Saturday.

“The conditions aren’t exactly what I call favorable, but they’re better than they have been on other days and, you know, we don’t get to change the weather, we just have to deal with what it gives us,” Incident Commander Rich Harvey said.

At the morning press conference, Harvey had predicted that Saturday would pose increased difficulty for firefighters with hot temperatures, dry air and potential thunderstorms.

At the evening press conference, Harvey exhibited a map with the new containment lines. He was cautious about becoming optimistic about the fire saying that 45 percent containment means there’s still 55 percent more work to do.

Waldo Canyon Wildfire Relief Benefit Concert Planned

KKTV 11 News is joining with local charities, entertainers and media outlets to sponsor a wildfire relief benefit concert at the World Arena. The concert, dubbed “A Community Rises” will be held on July 4.

The concert will feature the Colorado Springs Philharmonic along with appearances by the Flying W Wranglers, Michael Martin Murphey, and Flash Cadillac. KKTV 11 News Anchors Dianne Derby and Don Ward will join with other television news anchors as masters of ceremony.

Tickets for the one-night-only concert are available at the World Arena and Pikes Peak Center box offices, area King Soopers, and all TicketsWest outlets. Victims can also get tickets at area shelters and the Disaster Relief Center at 105 North Spruce.

Attendees will have the opportunity to make monetary donations to the Waldo Canyon Victims’ Assistance Fund at the event. Thanks to a generous group of underwriters led by the Colorado Springs Independent and Focus on the Family, 100% of the funds raised at the concert will go directly to the Waldo Canyon Fire relief efforts.

Care and Share Food Bank donations will also be accepted.

Additional information is available at www.worldarena.com or 719-477-2100. Businesses and individuals who would like to make financial contributions to the relief effort through this event, are asked to contact Pikes Peak United Way, www.ppunitedway.org.

Sounds like the thunderstorms could be a blessing and a curse. A blessing if heavy rain comes with it and a curse because of fire ignited by lightning strikes. What happens will happen but I wish them the best.

The fact that thunder storms, with lighting could cause more fires. Is very much a concern.
Yes sir indeed we all wish all the fire fighters, in all the states with fires the best with prayers and blessings.

Safely returning to your home after a wildfire


Proper identification to enter will be required. Once given clearance to initially return to your home, here are things you should look for inside and outside to ensure you and your family remain safe.
No pets please during this initial re-entry visit.

Be properly dressed. Bring water and snacks.
-Wear boots, long pants and long-sleeved shirts. As there may be smoke and ash present you -may want a dust mask and gloves as well. These items may be available at the check point.
-There will be four stations of dumpsters, monitored, for food disposal only.
-Cleaning products, paint, batteries and damaged fuel containers need to be disposed of properly to avoid risk. There will be future information on how to handle disposal of these materials.

Watch out for:
-Charred trees and power poles that may be unstable
-Smoldering debris
-Items moved when firefighters were on location during the fire
-Ash pits (holes created by burned trees filled with hot ash)
-Stay on sidewalks if viewing a destroyed home. Please do not walk on to the property.

BEFORE you enter your home
-FIRST be sure there is no gas smell. If you smell gas, leave immediately and contact utilities at 719-448-4800 and alert emergency personnel in the area. Gas service will not be turned on in the Mountain Shadows area until utilities has finished capping all the lines. This is expected to take several days or even weeks.
-Do not allow children to play in the area.
-During the fighting of the fire items may have been moved, removed or relocated so do not be alarmed if deck furniture or items previously in your garage are now outside the home.
Once inside your home
-Beware of hot spots, dust, ash, broken glass and other sharp objects.
-Animals, reptiles and insects may have entered your home to avoid the flames. Be aware as you open closets, storage areas, garage and outbuildings.
-Humane Society will be standing by to offer assistance. Contact animal control if an animal is injured or unwilling to leave your home at xxx-xxxx.
-Do not start cleaning or throwing away anything until you have contacted your insurance company.
-Be prepared to cover broken windows, doors and other exposed areas you may need to secure at your home. Save receipts for insurance purposes.
-Take pictures or videos and begin a list of damaged belongings.
-Do not sift through debris. We recommend you not handle ash and soot for health and safety reasons.
-Discard any food that may have been exposed to smoke, ash, heat or soot. Dumpsters will be located in the neighborhoods for disposal for food disposal ONLY.
-Do not drink water that may have been contaminated. This includes running your dishwasher, ice maker and other items that may have a central water system.
-If you have air quality concerns inside your home please notify staff at the check point exit when you leave for

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — As thousands of evacuees were allowed to return to their homes in this fire-scorched area, President Obama on Friday surveyed neighborhoods charred to ruins by the deadly Waldo Canyon blaze, the most destructive in state history, saying that the “devastation is enormous.”

The president toured the Mountain Shadows area, where melted cars sat in driveways and rows of homes were burned to their foundations. At last count, 347 homes had been lost. The death toll rose to two Friday after a body was found inside the same burned-down home where remains were earlier discovered.

While visiting a YMCA evacuation shelter, Obama told those gathered that “everyone all across the country has Colorado Springs’ back.”

Thanks OP good info.

The Survivors will need support for a good long time after a trauma like this. Hopefully extended family and friends will be patient and show great empathy.

While you can not replace many things shareing family photo's and encourage them to know they are what is important and not the things they lost. Helps if you allow them to keep their pride.

And if you even get a whiff that someone is exploiting them report it fast. It is sad that something like this brings out the wolves (no insult to wolves) in droves. Cops and agencies will do something if they know but someone has to tell.

You are welcome.

The cost of fighting the fire here in Colorado Springs so far has reached $12,433,656.

Lost of fire fighters. 0

A grand job indeed for the fire fighters from the Springs, and from the fire fighters from the neighboring states. 1200 strong still fighting this fire. God bless them and their families.

Double duty for the soldiers.



Fort Carson Soldiers Train To Fight Wildfires

FORT CARSON, Colo. (AP) -- More than 1,000 soldiers from Fort Carson are being trained to fight wildfires amid a deadly and destructive fire season in the West.

A team from the National Interagency Fire Center, which coordinates wildfire-fighting efforts nationwide, is conducting the training at the infantry post outside Colorado Springs.

Fort Carson said Monday that if the center asks for help, the soldiers would get additional training and personal protective equipment and could be deployed anywhere in the U.S.

Fort Carson says some soldiers have completed the course and others will wrap up their training on Wednesday.

The training includes classroom instruction and field training on fire behavior, safety equipment and firefighting technique.

Overall, the Waldo Canyon Fire is 70 percent contained, but the Colorado Springs Fire Chief says the portion of the fire within the city is fully contained. The fire is the most destructive in Colorado history.

Still ending prayers!

I thank you for the people that lost their homes, and for the fire fighters. Bless you.

The fire is 80 percent contained. Most of the Evacuees Have been able to go back to their homes today.

They fire is now 95 percent contained. Still have 346 that have lost heir Homes to the fire.
From 33,350 evacuees to 179 still waiting to be told they can return to their homes.

The last of the evacuees are back in their homes. So sad about the ones that have no home to go back to.
The firefighters are cleaning up the last of small hot spots.