by: Raine

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Saturday, June 9th a lightening strike started a fire in High Park, Colorado, near Fort Collins where I am planning to move. As of now, it’s spread over 43,000 acres, damaging national forests, consuming homes and claiming the life of one.

I’ve been extremely worried about friends and colleagues and keeping close tabs on the fires growth. If you’re interested, here is the most current reports issued to denizens of the area:

http://inciweb.org/incident/2904/

The smoke has traveled as far south as Denver, Colorado, which is nearly an hour and a half south from Fort Collins by car. So you can imagine how the citizens around the area are suffering from smoke inhalation. Some of my dearest friends in the world live there and I tell them everyday that they should just leave town for a while, but it’s a tough situation for everyone. Where does one go? How does one pay the bills? What happens if the fire spreads to one’s home and consumes worldly possessions. People always says things are things and they can be replaced, but it is still devastating.

There has been a huge infestation of beetles in the forests and it’s just fuel sitting and waiting to be burned. Authorities re concerned about those areas and the patches of rough terrain. The scary thing is that temperatures have been climbing for a while, as Colorado summer temperatures tend to do, and rain doesn’t seem to be coming any time soon.

Thus far, 10% has been contained and national authorities have sent in aid.

I’m asking for prayers for the people and rescue teams out there. And for rain. Rain would be the biggest blessing. A deluge.