Conifer, Colorado March 29, 2012 . . . With improved conditions and significant progress made in line construction thanks to the efforts of firefighters, some of the residents evacuated from their homes due to the Lower North Fork Fire will be allowed to return to their residences beginning at 11:00 a.m. today. Residents are required to show I.D. as proof of residency at check points.
The following roads will be opened today beginning at 11:00 a.m. for residents only:
· Foxton Road from Highway 285 to Reynolds Ranch Open Space Park parking lot.
· Pleasant Park Road from Oehlmann Park Road to Critchell Road
· High Grade Road from Maxwell Hill Road to Critchell Road.
· West Platte River Road from Foxton Road to South Platte Hotel.
Watched the press conference on Channel 9 with Kelly. Glad she emphasized that they need to be ready to leave on a moment's notice.
The winds are kicking up here on the east side of Bailey and we aren't that far from the fire.
I hope the firefighters will make great progress today. Thanks firefighters!
bumper sticker - honk if you will pay my mortgage
"The problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." attributed to Margaret Thatcher
"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government." Thomas Jefferson
We have sporadic gusts on the east side of Bailey. Then they go away.
Checked on the fire from my vantage point. Did not see any flames, only light smoke. Didn't see any smoke near the mountain with Kuehster Rd.
I hope the ff can get a lot done today. We will check again this evening if possible.
bumper sticker - honk if you will pay my mortgage
"The problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." attributed to Margaret Thatcher
"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government." Thomas Jefferson
9NEWS has learned the full name of the missing woman. She's 51-year-old Ann Appel. A specialized search team has been looking for her a several days now.
"That is a 34-person crew with six dogs. Four of those dogs are trained to search for live persons, two of those dogs are trained to search for human remains," Kelley said Thursday. "All six of those dogs are out. They've covered now about 140 acres. Obviously, that home is a center point, and they've gone out all four directions. And they'll be out as long as need to. We have not found anything yet."
So sad, prayers to their family.
As Wildfire Raged, Couple Asked For Prayers
Sam, Linda Lucas Had Prepared Foothills Home To Withstand Fire
Alan Gathright, 7NEWS Content Producer
POSTED: 1:07 pm MDT March 29, 2012
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. -- As the wildfire that would kill them raged all around them, Sam and Linda Lucas called fellow church members, asking them to pray.
McCullough described the Lucases, who were married 57 years, as selfless people who were committed to their faith and very involved in the church community.
McCullough said the Lucases were prepared for wildfire. They had built their home with fire-resistant concrete shingles and also had a fire-suppression system that sprayed foam, a generator and a couple of water tanks.
They also kept brush cleared around their house, the pastor said.
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
During a multi-day disaster, sometimes it’s the smallest gestures that can mean the most. This morning, the Red Cross handed out about 300 small plastic bags containing bandanas, eye drops, hand wipes and Chapstick to the firefighters who have been battling the Lower North Fork Fire.
The contents of each bag couldn’t have totaled more than $5 but to the firefighters they were like gold – many of the firefighters thanked the Red Cross enthusiastically for the lip balm or the eye drops. The need was evidenced on many of their faces in the form of lips cracked by exposure to heat and sun and eyes reddened by long shifts exposed to smoke, wind and dust.
If the comfort kits were like gold, the coffee donated by a local Starbucks was liquid gold. Starbucks store #13938 in Aspen Park, Colorado, has donated 215 gallons of coffee – and counting! – since the wildfire broke out on March 26, providing much-needed fuel for first responders, Red Cross workers and evacuees visiting or staying at the Red Cross shelter.
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
