Planes prepare to battle Boulder County wildfire

Denver Post ^ | 9-7-2010 | Bruce Finley, Yesenia Robles and Jevin Vaughan

[edcoil]

Thanks. I received an email from the school

Good afternoon folks!

I’m sure that many of you have heard about the Four Mile Canyon fire burning in the mountains northwest of Boulder. Those of us living in Colorado have benefitted by extensive media coverage of the fire so we are pretty well informed about the situation. While we are all concerned about the welfare of our mountain neighbors and the consequences of the fire, we are much better able to put the threat posed by the fire in perspective. Those of you living outside the state are probably less well informed and we recognize that fear of the unknown can be very unsettling. Consequently, here is the latest information the University has shared with the campus community:

The Boulder County wildfire is northwest of the city of Boulder and does not represent a threat to the University of Colorado campus or the central City of Boulder. Classes and all university activities will proceed along a normal schedule.

Air quality is also a concern and will vary significantly hour to hour based upon wind direction and velocity. This morning, when the air was calm, the visibility on campus was somewhat poor. Now, with a breeze, the visibility is good.

CU students with respiratory illnesses (e.g., asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema) should be aware of air quality alerts issued by Boulder County Health by going to http://www.bouldercounty.org/newsroom/templates/bocodefault.aspx?articleid=2292&zoneid=5. Those with severe respiratory distress should proceed immediately to the closest emergency department; those with less distress may come to the Wardenburg Health Center. “N95” masks, properly worn, will offer some protection to those with respiratory or heart conditions that may put them at risk. A limited number of “N95” masks, and instructions for their use, will be available at the Wardenburg Health Center. Students may also obtain masks and information at the front desk of Kittredge West, Stearns West, and Libby as well as in the main office of Family Housing. Again, masks are intended for those with respiratory or heart conditions that may put them at risk.

For updates and a list of area evacuations and closures, go to the Boulder Office of Emergency Management website at http://www.boulderoem.com/component/content/article/5.

CU-Boulder information will be updated as warranted at http://www.colorado.edu and on the CU-Boulder Emergency Information Line at 303-492-4636.

I hope this helps shed a little light on the situation. Please rest assured that the University is also sharing information with your student directly via a variety of means—e-memos, web communications, and, if necessary, text alerts. Of course, we will keep you informed of any significant developments as well.

Finally, although very few students typically live in the area impacted by the fire should your student have been required to evacuate and need assistance, please have them call the Dean of Students office at 303-492-8476.

[MtnClimber]

On the radio it was reported that numerous homes lost including the homes of 9 volunteer firefighters.

[colorado tanker]

There are some small fire protection districts back in there that use lots of volunteers. They are literally fighting for their own homes so you know they're doing everything they can.

Yesterday with the high winds it would have been impossible and very dangerous to try to dig containment lines. Hopefully progress is being made today.

It sounds bad - lots of homes destroyed.

[edcoil]

Update e-mail from campus

Good evening folks,

CU and Boulder officials continue to remain vigilant with respect to potential threats posed by the fire that continues to burn in the mountains approximately 10 miles northwest of Boulder and the campus.

Out of an abundance of caution and with concern about gusty winds that may occur in the mountains and the Boulder area in the coming hours, the University passed the following message to the CU student body via email Thursday afternoon:
Earlier this afternoon, the City of Boulder issued a precautionary advisory to citizens living west of Broadway and north of Spruce to prepare for possible evacuation should high winds drive the fire toward the northwest boundary of the city. CU officials are taking the situation seriously and monitoring it closely with city and county officials. It is important to note that the fire does not represent a threat to the campus and the campus is not in the area covered by the city’s advisory. Classes and campus events are not cancelled.

Off-campus students living in the areas identified by the city are urged to pay attention to advisories concerning the changing conditions and possible evacuations and follow instructions from the city and law enforcement officials. If due to your personal circumstances you need to miss class or other academic activities, keep your instructor informed. Please let your family know that the fire is not threatening the campus and keep your family informed of your whereabouts and safety.

The university will update campus-specific information as needed on the CU-Boulder home page at http://www.colorado.edu and the Emergency Information Line at 303-492-4636. CU faculty, staff and students should also monitor their campus e-mail and cell phones for possible emergency alerts, texts and updates.

Boulder County authorities are updating information on the wildfire at http://boulderoem.com/emergency-status .

The city of Boulder is posting information at http://www.bouldercolorado.gov .

If you have not done so already, sign up for the campus alert system at http://www.colorado.edu/alerts/.
We will continue to keep you informed of developments. Again, the CU campus is not in the area covered by the precautionary advisory. To give you some perspective, Spruce Street is north of downtown Boulder (north of Pearl Street). Finally, the faculty and staff have been instructed to be sensitive to the situation of students who live in the affected area.

Sincerely...Barney