Wednesday, September 15, 2010

WILDFIRE OUT WEST - BOULDER, COLORADO

  The wildfire that started in Boulder, Colorado over the Labor Day weekend was confirmed 100% contained as of Monday by the Incident Command.  During its rampage, The Fourmile Canyon Fire destroyed a reported 169 homes costing approximately $80 million in damage on top of a reported $7 million used to fight the fire.  It took about 1,400 firefighters and six days to finely get a hold of the blaze.  Investigators now believe that the blaze was ignited from a home owner's fire pit that was never fully extinguished.  The irony of it is; the 71 year-old-man whom they believe started the fire is a 20 year veteran of the Fourmile Canyon Fire Department.  Charges could include a fourth-degree arson charge which is when a person "knowingly or recklessly starts or maintains a fire or causes an explosion, on his own property or that of another, and by so doing places another in danger of death or serious bodily injury or places any building or occupied structure of another in danger of damage."  Some homeowners were allowed back into their neighborhoods September 10th to assess the damage, while the rest were allowed back the 14th.  The Boulder blaze ended up burning 6,427 acres of Rocky Mountain territory and if one lesson was learned; no matter how experienced you are with fighting fires - never under estimate the power of some hot unextinguished coals.

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