Sad and Scary

So I don't usually post this many images at once, but I am making an exception due to the content.

It seems like the entire state of CO is going up in smoke. The latest is a fire that sprang up uncomfortably close, and was visible from the nature path behind our house this afternoon, where I took these images. While some of these have a certain beauty to them, that is hard to appreciate when one considers what they are actually witnessing. I don't think we are in immediate danger here at the moment, although the flames are visible from our back deck and very visible if one drives up the highway that goes up the hill to the East, about 3 minutes from our house. We will obviously be watching this for developments tomorrow.

This is only a few steps from the end of my driveway, not quite onto the walking path, at ~2:30 this afternoon.




Walking along the path to a better vantage point I took this. If the subject was less ominous, it is a kinda cool image, with some symmetry to the tree shape and the smoke plume. But hard to appreciate that too much.




This is familiar view I have posted before. This time the fall colors are not what draws the eye, unfortunately.




These are from a stopping point along the trail about 5 mins from our house where the foliage opens up.






In this one, which is more heavily cropped, you might just make out a scout plane I accidentally captured in the frame (it's pretty small at 300mm)...




CA is still getting the majority of the news coverage (for good reason), but if any of these front range fires head into some of the bigger towns/cities that are being threated (Fort Collins, Loveland, and now with this fire Longmont and Boulder) that could change. Scary stuff and no end in sight it seems like.

ML

Good series, Mike. I drove through it Sat evening as I was coming back from WY. The air was horrendous, but it's cleared up a surprising amount here. Walking my dog last night, it looked like Apocalypse Now. This is an iPhone shot from the overlook on 36 coming into Boulder.

People are being evacuated west of Foothills Hwy. Brings back chills as I was living up 4Mile Canyon at the time of that fire in 2010.

I have been reading about this fire and wondered if anyone on here was being impacted so you have just answered my question. Yikes and yuck. Being downwind in the smoke is not a pleasant situation.

You did capture the essence of the scene with your captures and seeing the scout plane in the last shot adds some useful scale.

that sucks. stay safe.

Sad story, we had a couple local fires yesterday, one is suspicious.

That is sad and scary for those living closer, glad it won't affect you. You are right, looked at without emotion your pictures have a strange beauty.

So sad. Welcome to California. Hoping for a quick dousing.

Thanks everyone. Yes, I am sure folks in CA have had it a lot worse for a lot longer. Terrible season for fires, so much pristine beauty going up in smoke all over the western half of the country.

ML

Great photography Mike. It is quite sad despite an element of beauty. It was hard to breathe yesterday at my daughters house in Greeley.

There was some moisture last night, so hopefully that helped a bit.

With my trips back and forth between California and Colorado I have been getting the worst of both worlds.

Hi Mike,

That #1 brings billowing to mind (though I guess they all do). 500 AQI was a regular thing in Mammoth for the last 8 weeks. I hope this fire doesn't end up being a crown fire like so many in California.

Tim