Evacuee: Wildfire 20 feet from home
The wildfires in Colorado continue to burn thousands of acres of land. Doubling in size overnight, the Waldo Canyon Fire has damaged more than 15,000 acres as of Wednesday morning, threatening more property in Colorado Springs.
While the blaze rages, firefighters have managed to contain only 5% of the flames and the windy conditions mean there is no relief in sight. Gusts from a predicted thunderstorm could make the their work more difficult.
Becky Schormann is one of the approximately 32,000 residents who evacuated. She left her home Sunday after being jolted awake by her husband warning of the coming fires. Shormann, maintaing a sense of humor, jokes, "it was my one morning to sleep in."
Her family and neighbors helped pack a few piles of important items and prepare her two dogs, pony and donkey for travel. Now she's living out of a motor home near her daughter's house with a makeshift pen for the animals.
On Tuesday afternoon, her daughter, a volunteer firefighter, told her the flames were only 20 feet from her home; firefighters prevented them from getting closer. Despite the destruction and uncertainty, Schormann remains hopeful. "I keep telling myself its going to be okay," she said.
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Post by: Soledad O'Brien Filed under: Weather |
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I am amazed how the major networks are ignoring the coverage of the Colorado Springs Fire. If this fire was in Southern California or anywhere in the east areas of the U.S. the coverage would be prime 24 hours coverage. Instead the coverage is a 30 second blimp on CNN and NO CNN reporters covering the frightening and apocalyptic fire storm last night, and how it ravaged the Colorado Springs area. But keep up those college appearances, they are more important. You were fast to rush to Haiti, New Orleans or any other problem areas. Nice to be IGNORED by the major media; since we are the forgotten area of the United States that is not on the west or east coast. Ask hundreds of people in the U.S. and they would not be able to classify the Mountain area time zones since the media ignores it.