Photo source: Colorado Springs Gazette.
If you are a regular reader of my blog you know my children live in the beautiful state of Colorado, in the Denver area. Many areas of Colorado have been besieged by wildfires of epic proportions this past month, most caused by lightning hitting extremely dry trees and brush. One of the latest fires of concern is in the foothill areas of Colorado Springs, the second largest city of Colorado, about an hour driving distance from Denver. As you can see by the photo above, this raging fire is extensive, and out of control!
Photo source: Colorado Springs Gazette
Tens of thousands of residents have had to flee their homes, and many neighborhoods are being destroyed by the flames.
Photo Source: Colorado Springs Gazette
The United States Air Force Academy is located in Colorado Springs, and as you can see by the photo above of the Air Force Chapel surrounded by smoke wafting across the canyon, it may also be in danger if the fires are not quickly put under control.
If you watch the heartbreaking CBS video above (it begins with a brief commercial) you will see that one fleeing resident of Boulder County took only one possession--the American Flag that was his son's. His son lost his life in the military in Iraq.
There are more than eight large wildfires burning across the state, the latest in Boulder County, north of Denver, which was also caused by a lightning strike. Record high temperatures above 100 degrees and extreme drought and high winds have been fueling all the fires and smoke, exhausting the thousands of firefighters on duty, and hindering the more than 100 airplanes and helicopters that are trying to dump water and fire retardant on the flames.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the people and state of Colorado, for their safety, that a good long soaking rain will help quench these fires and prevent new ones I am worried about my children and grandchildren, that they also may face the danger of fires in their area. Please keep them all in your prayers!
Thank you.
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63 comments:
My prayers go out to all those affected Pat. Really scary photos.
Pat, those photos say it all. What a scary situation. I can't imagine the heartbreak and fear that so many are facing. If only we could share our rain with them.
Praying for the people in Colorado.
Our whole church is praying - we have a young man there that flies the planes that try to put the fires out. Sandie
Tears are streaming. Such devastation. Praying for strength for the firefighters to fight the fire without death or injury! Praying for your family and all the people of Colorado Springs and Boulder...
it looks very scary!
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Terrifying! I hope they get this under control very soon Pat...it is such a beautiful state. Prayers will include this situation and a plea for rain!
♥, Susan
Thanks for bringing this to the forefront with these heartrending photos. We have so many wildfires up here in Alaska but hardly ever threatening population bases so it's a whole different ballgame. Joining you in your prayers.
This is very scary! My heart goes out to all the folks that have to leave and/or have lost their homes. Guess you know who can't blame Bush for this.
Unbelievable! I have such good memories of travelling in Colorado two summers ago...and touring the US Air Force Academy where the fires now rage. My heart goes out to the people of Colorado.
We've been following this on the news.
So frightening for so many.
These poor people have been in my prayers...and they will continue.
Utah is also having wildfires and they are so devastating to the landscape, homes, and animal life. We will be praying for all the people involved. The photos are unbelievable!
This is absolutely horrible. I have been watching, and praying for everyone in the paths of these potentially deadly fires. Sure hope all are safe.
Adding my prayers for rain and for safety for those who are working to contain and put out these fires, and for our friends and family in Colorado.
Such devastation, breaks my heart. I will keep your children and grands in my prayers. I think there are raging wild fires in Utah as well. God help us all. xo
It has got to be stressful with all this going on in your son's area. An hour is not so far away when it's burning at this rate. Praying for rain and enough to put these fires out. And, yes, I will pray for your son and his family's safety. Are your daughter and her husband out there now, too?
Amen to that Pat! My heart goes out to the residents of the entire, beautiful state!
Thank you all for your kind words and prayers!
The entire American West seems to be a tinderbox...Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico all have had horrible fires. I hope these areas get much needed, soaking rain!
Yes,Vee, my daughter and son-in-law also now live in a suburb of Denver.
It is just awful. I have a best girlfriend in Pueblo so she's letting me know how things are. I am keeping them all in my prayers.
Oh how scary and awful Pat. I will keep them all in my prayers. I hope there soon will be a lot of rain.
Hugs from Riet
I join you in those prayers. My son just moved to Denver in May. We are no strangers to wildfires here in Southern California. They are horrendous.
I have family who live close to Colorado Springs who are volunteering with the Red Cross today. So far my brother in the Fort Collins area is safe. So many dead trees....I know this is going to make the mountains more beautiful, burning off all the beetle dead trees and people know this is a danger living there but family says this is the worst they have ever seen the fires. Things literally are exploding and jumping. God have mercy, give the fire fighters strength and grant wisdom to those making decisions about how to handle evacuations and such. Our youngest is scheduled to go out to the Denver area next week to look for a place to live. UGHHHH
So scary and so very sad.
Praying for rain.....and all of the people of Colorado.
This is just so horrible, Pat. I've been watching it on TV --and reading about it on blogs and Facebook. Makes me cry!!!!
We visited that area last summer --and know how beautiful it is... I am praying hard for RAIN for them.
Hope your kids there will continue to be safe.
Hugs,
Betsy
just watched the video. it is hard to watch.
This is so terrible. It is difficult to watch those homes burning up along with the forests. I pray for rain for these areas of the US. Ironically, we have be deluged with rain on the east coast of Canada and US for days and would gladly share it if we could. Blessings to you and your family Pat.
My best friend is in Colorado Springs. We are praying for the Navigators historic headquarters in the Garden of the Gods to be spared. Dozens of international Christian workers were evacuated from there...imagine being without a car, likely little cash, needing to find shelter while expecting to be in a conference.
Pat, I thought about your family several times, this is so sad!
Oh my goodness, this looks awful. How close are your children to this? I will keep them in my prayers for safety.
I hope your family are safe. I pray for rain too!! Please please may all be safe from these fires! Take care
x
hope you and your friends and family are ok!
RAIN is starting to build up and fall all over Colorado!!!!! WOO HOO! We need to keep praying....flooding can happen if the rain comes down too fast on burnt, dry ground. But thank You Father for the rain.....let it put all the fires out. I can just imagine the fire fighters with faces lifted up in relief.
We have friends living on the USAF Academy grounds while he is teaching there, so we've been keeping tabs on the fire and praying for everyone's safety.
It is sobering and much on our minds here. Not just because we have friends there, but almost everyone seems to know someone there they are concerned with. The heat sounds so intense. I can't imagine how fearful it must be.
Coming from an area that has more than its share of wildfires...our thoughts and prayers go to those in Clorado...it wasn't too many years ago that the southern part of our state was on fire...living through that was horrible...there was no place to escape...the ambers and ashes were everywhere for months and you had to be so careful when going outside. I hope your children are doing OK...they are in our prayers!
It is truly heartbreaking to see so much devastation. I hope they are able to get these fires contained soon.
So very sad all these fires! In Florida it rained 20 inches I was so hoping the rain would go to COlorado to help out a bit. My prayers are with everyone and their family and friends. I hope that they are all over soon. Grace xoox
We are on fire here also in Utah. It's scary and devastating all at once...
It is very hot and dry here in Arkansas, but we have not had those terrible fires. My prayers have been going out today for all those who are being faced with heat, fires, or floods. Please, LORD, have mercy!
They'll be in my thoughts and prayers! So frightening, so devastating, my heart goes out to the people that have to deal with all these disasters.
Colorado and parts of Utah, too. So sad. Hope your Littles are safe. Sending prayers. blessings ~ tanna
My prayers for those poor people, devastating!
Will remember in my daily prayers of course!
When I see and smell these fires near y home and surrounding my state I am so sad. It is really horrific. We are twenty minutes away from Boulder and it is one of our favorite places to head for a nice Sunday breakfast. We have lots of friends there and in the Colorado Springs area. Bernideen's Tea Time from blog world is in Old Colorado City, a lovely area right in the midst of the devastation. We need prayer and lots of rain to quench the earth! Many folks we know own property in these area. I also posted about the fires.
Always praying and smelling the awful smoke and seeing it. We hate to close our windows at night but some nights the smoke burns our eyes.
Many blessings to your kids here too.
What is so scary is the fact that so many military installations are surrounding us including NORAD and the Air Force Academy as well as Fort Carson Army Base.
Love and Hugs to you and yours
Anne
I lived in CO for 3 years and I am getting ready to move back. My hubby is currently there.
I hope for safety for your family.
~Naila Moon
http://imaphotographicgenius.blogspot.com/2012/06/falphabe-thursday.html
The devastation is too terrible to imagine. I pray that a steady, soaking rain will come and bring relief.
I am praying for them, too.
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This is just so heart-breaking Pat. I'm glad your family is ok, and I hope and pray it stays that way - and that it rains a lot soon.
The news from Colorado is so terrible. I pray that all those who have to leave their homes will come back to them as they left them. Last year's Slave Lake fire near my town resulted in hundreds of homes and over fifty business being burned to the ground and it was devastating for the small community. I will pray for your family and everyone who has been evacuated.
I have never been a fan of fire ... controlled or otherwise ... how absolutely devasting to those in the paths of these raging monstrosities ... truly heartbreaking.
this is heartbreaking. Not only for the people who live there, but because it's such a beautiful area. Hope your family is safe. {:-Deb
So many fires in the western states this summer! It's pretty horrible.
Prayers for your family there and the other families whose lives are affected by these fires! My husband and I had the opportunity to live in that beautiful area when he was offered a position there in Colorado Springs last fall. Our hearts go out to all those whose homes were lost.
Blessings & Aloha!
I recently have been back to blogging and wanted to be sure to stop by and say hello.
Oh Pat what a huge worry for you! I will keep your family in my thoughts. Here we are having so much rain that it feels like April. If I could wish it Colorado way I would.
My prayers and thoughts are with them also..It all looks so scary. I hope you family stays safe.
It is just so incredibly heartbreaking... My prayers included daily. And may that your family be safe, Pat! ((LOVE & BIG HUGS)) P.S. Many thanks for your lovely comments at my place, and I am so very glad you enjoyed the "new & improved" newsletter so much. :o)
My prayers to all the residents of Colorado.
Seeing this tragedy spread to destroy so many homes and acres of land makes me cry. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by this awful fire.
It is horrific to hear the stories and know how fast the fire has spread.
I am praying for all the families in Colorado that are effected by this terrible event! I lived in Grand Junction and that is the latest town I heard mentioned on the news. A special prayer will go out for your family. My son is to attend a semester of college in Co. Springs this fall as an exchange program. I do hope that the rain comes very soon to help douse these fires!
Pat, we had a fire like that in Tucson when Mt. Lemmon burned several years ago. It was sooooo frightening.
My only response is "Amen" to your prayers and concerns.
Keeping your children in my thoughts and prayers. I have many cousins in CO too and am worried for them as well.
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