Posted on 09/08/2010 9:46:51 AM PDT by yorkie
Authorities in Colorado are searching for eight people who didn't leave their homes as a wildfire tore through a canyon in the foothills near Boulder.
Sheriff's Cmdr. Rich Brough said Wednesday that 20 people were initially reported missing and 12 have been accounted for.
It's unclear whether the remaining eight were in some of the 53 homes that have been reported destroyed.
Authorities are following up with family members of the missing people and checking homes in the area.
About 3,500 people have been evacuated from about 1,000 homes since the fire broke out Monday.
(Excerpt) Read more at statesman.com ...
Pray.
Have they determined the cause yet? Prayers for those who have suffered, and hope that those who are accounted for are found safe.
accounted = unaccounted.
Some clouds rolling in now. Chance of showers this evening. That might help.
Do you live near there, Nor? This is SO sad, to hear of this. I lived in CO for 20 years, and have family there (way south). I am praying.
I heard speculation (no more than that, afaik) that somebody hit a propane tank with their car.
I read that it may have been started by someone driving their car into a propane tank.
Thanks for the updates on the suspected cause.
Their name wasn’t Hussein, I hope.....
...very sad - it's a part of nature, but still, the property loss is UNREAL
And just yesterday they were saying how fortunate no one was killed or seriously hurt in the fire...today is the first mention of anyone missing...3 days into this, and NOW they are missing? Not a good sign...
Prayers up
Plenty of smoke to see from my front porch, hoping they do get some rain but without the winds. Very sad, such a beautiful area.
This is a bad one.
Any more recent news, Sima_yi?
Fires are part of nature. They help remove the deadwood and beetle kill while clearing room for healthy growth. It's always been this way. Unfortunately, decades of fire suppression policies (partially due to residential encroachment) have turned the Colorado high country into a tinderbox. One of these days the whole place is going to explode like the Hindenburg.
Article with released 911 tape on fire:
http://www.dailycamera.com/fourmile-canyon-fire/ci_16013189?source=most_viewed
few quotes:
According to a recording of police radio traffic from Monday morning, an unidentified official radioed in at 10:01 a.m. that he saw trees catching on fire at the base of Emerson Gulch.
The official who called in the scene became audibly more anxious as time went on.
“I have a fully involved fire,” he said. “I have trees torching. It’s all at the base of Emerson Gulch. Get Gold Hill fire out now.”
“We have a recreational vehicle fully involved ... propane tanks have (exploded),” he said. “Small 20-pound propane tanks have (exploded), immediately threatening a 1,000-gallon propane tank in a steep gulch with up-channel winds ... .”
Furthermore, with all the fuel any fire that burns today will burn so hot it'll sterilize the soil making the natural recovery take decades (if not longer).
Yep, there's a huge disaster in the making.

The forest service, etc, are doing a great job of maintaining trees next to the roads, so it looks good, but if you dare look past, it is devastating.
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