August 21, 2012
Colorado firefighters found 7,500 marijuana plants spanning 22 acres while battling Waldo Canyon fire While battling the destructive Waldo Canyon fire in the woods west of Colorado Springs earlier this summer, firefighters stumbled across a large-scale marijuana garden, federal officials revealed Tuesday. The garden spanned 22 acres on national forest land and included roughly 7,500 marijuana plants, according to a news release. Some of the plants burned in the fire, which torched 18,247 acres and destroyed 346 homes. Investigators removed the remainder of the plants.  The release did not disclose the location of the marijuana garden within the fire’s perimeter. It is not believed to be connected to the fire’s origin

Colorado firefighters found 7,500 marijuana plants spanning 22 acres while battling Waldo Canyon fire

While battling the destructive Waldo Canyon fire in the woods west of Colorado Springs earlier this summer, firefighters stumbled across a large-scale marijuana garden, federal officials revealed Tuesday.

The garden spanned 22 acres on national forest land and included roughly 7,500 marijuana plants, according to a news release. Some of the plants burned in the fire, which torched 18,247 acres and destroyed 346 homes. Investigators removed the remainder of the plants. 

The release did not disclose the location of the marijuana garden within the fire’s perimeter. It is not believed to be connected to the fire’s origin

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Filed under: waldo canyon fire news colorado colorado springs marijuana national forests garden 
July 8, 2012

Waldo Canyon fire singes Colorado Springs economy

The Waldo Canyon fire is nearing full containment, but the devastating fire continues to rage through the Pikes Peak-area economy. Motels that are normally full have only a few guests, tourist shops have had to lay off workers, and restaurants are seeing little foot traffic.

The fire, which was first reported June 23, destroyed 347 homes, making it the most destructive wildfire in state history. It burned more than 18,000 acres and killed two residents.

Early estimates place the property damage well in excess of $110 million, but experts say the economic impact will be harder to quantify and will likely reverberate for months to come.

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Filed under: business colorado colorado springs economy news photos property damage waldo canyon fire wildfires economic impact 
July 2, 2012
Colorado wildfire: Waldo Canyon fire strengthened by dry conditions, low moisture  A perfect combination of relentlessly hot temperatures, historically dry forests and an afternoon thunderstorm converged to feed a wildfire that burned hotter than 1,500 degrees and moved faster than firefighters could run. Several fire managers have called this fire’s behavior “incredible” and the dry conditions in which it’s burning “historic.” Moisture content in the trees and vegetation across the state are at a record low, leaving parched forests practically defenseless when fires roar through, Allen said. In addition to live vegetation, dead fuels have a moisture content of about 3 percent, causing the Waldo Canyon fire to burn hotter than the Hayman fire in 2002 — the biggest wildfire in state history in terms of acres.

Colorado wildfire: Waldo Canyon fire strengthened by dry conditions, low moisture

 A perfect combination of relentlessly hot temperatures, historically dry forests and an afternoon thunderstorm converged to feed a wildfire that burned hotter than 1,500 degrees and moved faster than firefighters could run.

Several fire managers have called this fire’s behavior “incredible” and the dry conditions in which it’s burning “historic.”

Moisture content in the trees and vegetation across the state are at a record low, leaving parched forests practically defenseless when fires roar through, Allen said. In addition to live vegetation, dead fuels have a moisture content of about 3 percent, causing the Waldo Canyon fire to burn hotter than the Hayman fire in 2002 — the biggest wildfire in state history in terms of acres.

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Filed under: environment waldo canyon fire colorado colorado springs wildfire science news weather wx 
July 1, 2012

PHOTOS: Waldo Canyon Fire – Residents Return To Mountain Shadows

Residents were allowed to return to the Mountain Shadows neighborhood, which was devistated by the Waldo Canyon Fire west of Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday, July 1, 2012.

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Filed under: waldo canyon fire mountain shadows photos news colorado springs wildfires Evacuees 
June 30, 2012

PHOTOS: Media tour of Waldo Canyon Fire

Photos from a media tour of the Waldo Canyon Fire area west of Colorado Springs, Colo., on Friday, June 29, 2012. Twenty firefighters of Bighorn 209, a hand crew from Montana, were checking for hot spots near Cedar Heights road.

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Filed under: waldo canyon fire Colorado Springs news photos wildfire firefighters colorado 
June 30, 2012

PHOTOS: President Obama in Colorado Springs to survey Waldo Canyon Fire

President Barack Obama praised first responders and firefighters during his tour Friday, June 29, 2012 in Colorado Springs of the Waldo Canyon Fire. “They are genuine heroes,” the president said. “We want to say thank you to all the folks involved in this. “They are putting their lives at risk to help us and to save us.” Obama said that though he considered the collaboration of local, state and federal agencies “outstanding,” the destruction of the early fire season demonstrated a need for long-term planning.

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Filed under: POTUS obama waldo canyon fire colorado springs air force one news photos wildfire colorado 
June 28, 2012

PHOTOS: Waldo Canyon fire aerial photos by Denver Post staff

Aerial photos, Thursday June 28, 2012, of the Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado Springs shows the destructive path of the fire in Mountain Shadows Subdivision area.


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Filed under: Waldo canyon fire colorado springs mountain shadows aerial photos wildfire news photos 
June 28, 2012

PHOTOS: Before and after views of neighborhood burned by Waldo Canyon fire

The Denver Post captured aerial photos Thursday of the Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado Springs. The after photos show the destructive path of the fire in Mountain Shadows Subdivision area.

(Before photos via screen capture/BING) 


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Filed under: waldo canyon fire Colorado Springs wildfire photos news colorado fire 
June 28, 2012

PHOTOS: Waldo Canyon Fire officials confirm “hundreds” of homes destroyed

Tens of thousands of people fled the neighborhoods north and west of Colorado Springs after the Waldo Canyon fire unleashed waves of flames late Tuesday afternoon. Showers of ash fell as traffic gridlocked on Interstate 25 and all major eastbound roadways, clogged full of evacuees and fire equipment. Witnesses flooded the Internet on Twitter, describing the scene as “an apocalypse” and “terrifying” and posting photos of the city wrapped in a sinister orange and black cloud.

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Filed under: Waldo Canyon fire waldo canyon colorado springs wildfires fire photos evacuations 
June 28, 2012
View aerial photos of about 300 homes destroyed by the Waldo Canyon Fire.

View aerial photos of about 300 homes destroyed by the Waldo Canyon Fire.

(Source: The Denver Post)

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Filed under: news landscape colorado springs wildfire denver colorado denver post front page waldo canyon fire waldo canyon destruction devestation aerial photography photography 
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