Yesterday, the sky grew dark again – similar to a cloudy day, but with a bit of a reddish hue. After living in smoke for months last year, we knew exactly what it was without having to open the curtains. We were downwind of another fire. I opened up one of the usual Colorado fire map websites to find out how worried I should be. This one isn’t particularly close so no need to pack up just yet. Last year, one of the many fires came within two miles.
After work, we went for a quick hike and passed several campground with active fires. Most were reasonable in metal rings, but a few were approaching bonfire level. Please, friends, no more campfires while it is this dry. Again, there is no reason at all for a campfire right now.
Here are some images and videos from the fires last year before we had to evacuate.
We did end up evacuating. Here is a video I took as we were leaving of the nearby hills. It’s not as dramatic during the day as earlier photos because the fire is harder to see.