CODE RED: Colorado on Fire
Jan 1, 2022
Story
Iamsalvationarmy.org for donating to local community help. Cutting power to Summit, Grand, Eagle Counties tonight due to damage to gas utility. High hurricane scale winds blew down power lines likely started the fire. Just got an emergency notice about Summit County(Breckinridge) power gray out as a result of front range fires. Grand County just greyed out. Xcel Energy customers in Eagle County may experience rolling power outages overnight. As a result of the massive fires burning in Boulder County, Xcel Energy customers in Eagle County may experience rolling power outages overnight Thursday into Friday. Areas that could be impacted Avon, Red Cliff, Vail, and Minturn.
Thousands of Coloradans are without power in the wake of the fires, which are suspected to have sparked after high winds knocked down power lines. (Let's bury power lines or generate energy on each structure?)
Winds are like firey vortexes, reaching 115 mph. 1600 acres south of Boulder, 600 homes lost. Costco, Target, a Hyatt Hotel, shopping centers, all of the towns of Superior, Louisville, parts of Arvada. Catastrophic! Neighborhoods gone-suburban Denver on fire. The grass was so dry it was crunchy. Our Governor is from Boulder. All of my friends have evacuated and are safe. Only 6 people were reported hospitalized. A hospital burned down. The headquarters for Vail Resorts is very near Broomfield. It’s described as looking like a war zone. Probably, just like California, started from a felled power line. Bury them before they bury us. Pray for the fury to calm. Winds have shifted direction.
Sounds like winds are dying down. Rock Creek Superior volume of various fires. All hands on deck. Mother Nature may send snow tomorrow. Long night ahead;( firestorm creating their own weather. Record heat/drought/climate warmed world.
Representative Joe Neguse evacuated his home. He also represents us here in Vail. Only 1 of my friends has lost their home so far.
Rep Joe Neguse. https://neguse.house.gov/about. He is traveling to various evac centers, first responders, firefighters. Moved so fast to save so many lives.
When I was 2, I woke my parents up to our historic hotel home on fire. My mom grabbed my little brother and my dad me and we got out with our lives. Total loss. I remember that acrid smell still. Mass loss of property. Animals, humans are mostly safe.
This is ravaging suburban Boulder/Denver. FEMA emergency funding has already been released. Fed resources will be needed for the scale of this conflagration. Historic floods in 2013, Historic fires last year near me, and this now. Please people let’s take climate breaking down seriously. Terrible tragedy. Devastating. We are resilient. Praying for all those working tonight to save lives/structures. I’m watching home after home in flames. In 10 mins from pre-evac to get out, get out, get out. ;(
Thousands are responding from around the state. This is between Denver and Boulder on the Front Range. The mining museum and only hotel in Superior also lost. Such fast spreading with the wind picking up embers, Rocky Mountain Airport planes, helicopters moved. Because of COVID, food for first responders is in the region. Wow-hell in Earth!
Nuclear triggers and waste stored to southeast at Rocky Mountain Arsenal. No one is covering that yet.
Praying for cool, stable, calming winds. Fact: a consequence of climate drought. Snow Xpected tomorrow.
2021: insurrection, shooting in Boulder, pandemic, drought…
meet 2022-peace may you prevail in our places.
+75
38Colleen Powers, Elizabeth Francis, and 36 others
Historic heat
Historic tornadoes
Historic derechos
Historic high winds
Historic dust bowl
Historic cold temperatures
Historic snowstorms
Historic Wildfires December 2021 please stop.
Lydia A Kan: Yikes. Hope all stay safe.
Jackie Apel: So sorry Kat. This is awful. Climate Change just getting worse. Sorry to hear about all the things that have been lost. I remember visiting my cousin who lives in Denver, and driving up to the mountains, and seeing Redrocks amphitheater, and small m…To go bag and now in an evacuation center with plenty of food for 500. He saw fire, heard a loud boom, saw Xplosions while gathering up his son and stuff. Local restaurants are supplying evac centers.
Kat Haber: Jackie Apel winds at 8:47 are beginning to calm. Far from over, getting water on fires and beginning containment.
Jackie Apel: I'm glad they are at least able to get some water on it!
Kat Haber: Just heard it took a father3.5 hours to go from Denver to Louisville to get his son from his home to evacuate. To go bag and now in evacuation center with plenty of food for 500. He saw fire, heard loud boom, saw Xplosions while gathering up his son an…
Linda Ashworth: These fires are unimaginable.
Linda Ashworth fortunately many were prepared to evacuate.
Linda Ashworth: Kat, Thank goodness for that!
Kat Haber: Linda Ashworth Code Red communications. Sounds like only 6 humans burned so far.
Deirdre Toner: Oh my gosh. How traumatic. Had no idea this was part of your childhood too - this must be horrific to revisit.
Kat Haber: Deirdre Toner acrid smell of fire is a trigger.
Robyn McCulloch: Evidence that climate has changed. Horrific.
Kat Haber: Robyn McCulloch consequence of inaction.
Robyn McCulloch: Hersch Wilson more details from a friend in Vail.
Kat Haber: Robyn McCulloch: From an evacuating plane…From Rocky Mountain Regional airport to Centennial south of Denver. Xtreme drought, high winds, drylands, sparked by downed power lines>>>disaster.
Kerry Stricker: I was following but what you report is far more widespread. Arvada yikes!
I will continue my prayers that the wind will die and the snows come heavy across the front range.
I didn't know you lost your home to fire when you were 2. How horrific. Your parents were really something. Super nice, loads of fun and go-getters too.
Julie Davis: I’m so sorry Kat! Stay safe!
Kat Haber: Julie Davis hugs.
Sky Carver: Stay safe Kat. Good to hear snow is on the way!
Libby Roderick; Holding all of you in my heart, Kat.
Kat Haber: Libby Roderick thank you for your wishes! In compassion, I wonder how entire evacuated towns of 19 hours of fire recover? I know it took my own parents until I was 35 to recover financially. Spirit crushing when all in fact is lost. May strength, resilience, grit, generosity, and humanity fill the hearts of those affected. We belong to each other. How can we help? Orgs: YMCA. Lafayette, Community FOUNDATION Boulder…I hear crackling in voices of reporters and tears fill my eyes as my index finger plucks truth into this mini keyboard…curious how animals living beside these families have fared in the black night…dawn has not yet arrived and fires are still actively burning…sunrise in about 40 minutes…breathing…we still are accounting for people…soon to assess the damage as light shows the scope of what is completely wiped out…what now humans in how we live in Earth systems of life?
Kelo Kubu: Stay safe Kat.
Kat Haber: Kelo Kubu these fires are in the front range of the Continental divide in the Rocky Mountains 2-hour drive from where I live in the middle of the Rockies in ski country. We were at 7% of normal precipitation until ten days ago. By the numbers at 6 am predawn: 6200 acres burned, 35,000 people evacuated from their homes, ~600 homes lost, 2 suburban towns decimated…still counting, 0 known lives lost due to Xellent Code Red communication systems,
Kelo Kubu; Kat Haber the weather report said that there might be snow coming your way which will hopefully clear the fires. All the best.
Kat Haber; Kelo Kubu yes, blessed snow…it is already snowing here in the mountains. Gusty winds may deliver 29 below zero in the front range where these fires are still hot spotting. So grateful for first responders and firefighters!
Bia Villela Martins Souza; oh... so sorry...
Kat Haber: Bia Villela Martins Souza rapid, ferocious, firey are these life-changing consequences of climate breakdowns ;(
Kat Haber: Protecting our communities from future harm calls us all to do what we can from where we are witnessing the climate consequences of decades of disinformation. The cost of inaction in Boulder County this morning: was 1600 acres in flames, now 6200 acres burned, 600+ homes lost, animals lost, thousands of lives forever changed. These are all American neighborhoods in the suburbs of Boulder. Tipping point? What further evidence is required for humans to right our relations to avoid these elemental messages? Mother Nature calling. Can you see/hear it? …til the mo(u)rning comes…35,000 people evacuated from their homes. Fire has nearly quadrupled in size from yesterday. Morning brings gusts as the cold system is Xpected to bring snow. Until morning breaks…
Kat Haber; This from a dear friend who used to live in this area: “In the warzone...
houses big houses completely burned to the foundation...
waiting for the sun to rise...
small fires burning everywhere…
This is scorched earth...
cops everywhere ...
almost got arrested. Parched Earth. Flashing lights.
Incomprehensible. burned-out cars trucks in the middle of the road.”
Kat Haber: Superior’s Mayor is evacuated at 6:30 am still active and unsafe, snowplow fleet was destroyed in fires, 35,000 people displaced and without homes to return to. 2 of his own family members have list homes. Not everyone has a place to go to. Unknown at this moment is the full scope of loss in the dark if night. Vetting now by Air BNB to host. Historic Superior vanishes. Hot spots still burn.
Kat Haber; Friends listed here may be near this crisis. I've spoken with many and all are safe. My heart goes out to all the lives impacted by the loss of their homes and neighborhoods. Weeping this morning knowing the pain of the loss of our own home. Also, tears of joy for the generosity of so many businesses, organizations, nearby residents helping each other out of this disastrous day...heartbreaking...
@Carl Mackey
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Julia Bevins: Kat, so sorry for your loss! That's a big loss, to lose your own home! And so sorry for everyone's losses. I have lots of friends and family in the Boulder area-I don't know yet how it has affected those families. The images look devastating.
Kat Haber: Julia Bevins good time to reach out to them if in Superior or Louisville area. Meanwhile, 250+ flight cancellations by 8 AM MT and 15,000 power outages according to Xcel Energy.
Tracy Loughlin: Thank you so much for the summary update. So appreciated. Just devastating. We *must* bury the power lines in these dry zones!
Kat Haber: Yes, with electrification coming on strong and climate destabilization hardening our infrastructure to all types of consequences is needed urgently. Wildfire, flood, mudslides, coastal erosion. Morning has broken… https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WK63zjsBl7Q&feature=youtu.be
Tracy Loughlin: Kat Haber dear God!!!
A friend pre-evacuated, another evacuated, yet another grabbed pictures for which he was almost arrested.
This firestorm is now smoldering today, the last day of 2021-annum horibilis! Just learned that Betty White just died. May 2022 be life-giving rather than life-extinguishing!
