Black Forest Fire
| Black Forest Fire | |
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The smoke plume rising from the Black Forest area on June 11, 2013, the first day of the fire.
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| Location | Black Forest, Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 39°00′58″N 104°45′00″W / 39.016°N 104.75°WCoordinates: 39°00′58″N 104°45′00″W / 39.016°N 104.75°W |
| Statistics | |
| Date(s) | June 11, 2013 – June 20, 2013 |
| Burned area | 14,280 acres (58 km2) |
| Buildings destroyed |
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| Fatalities | 2 |
| Map | |
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The Black Forest Fire was a forest fire that began near Highway 83 and Shoup Road in Black Forest, Colorado around 1:00 p.m. on June 11, 2013. As of June 20, 2013, the fire was 100 percent contained, 14,280 acres (22.31 sq mi; 57.8 km2) were burned, at least 509 homes were said to be destroyed, and two people had died. This was the most destructive fire in the state's history, surpassing the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire which also began near Colorado Springs.
The evacuation area covered 94,000 acres (147 sq mi; 380 km2) acres, 13,000 homes and 38,000 people. Three shelters were established in the area, including Elbert County Fairgrounds, which accepted humans, pets, and large animals. Two other shelters were designated for large animals only.
On June 13, the Denver Post reported, 457 firefighters were working the fireline, including agencies around the fire, the Colorado Air National Guard, and select personnel from fire suppression teams on Fort Carson and the nearby United States Air Force Academy. Of note, 3 x UH-60 and 3 x CH-47 from 2-4 GSAB were instrumental in providing immediate response to assist in fighting the fires. The Battalion, commanded by LTC Tyler Smith, launched with very little notice to provide much needed support to the Front Range region. One of the CH-47D aircraft "Patches", was involved in the effort on every day. Governor John Hickenlooper addressed Emergency Managers at the command post on June 12. U.S. Northern Command assisted with fire fighting efforts.
Record setting heat in the region, and a Red Flag Warning from the National Weather Service set the stage for an explosive fire situation. In the early afternoon hours of Tuesday, June 11, 2013, beginning before 2:00 p.m. MDT, reports of a wildfire in the Black Forest area reached 9-1-1 dispatchers. The initial 9-1-1 call came from Gregg Cawlfield, reporting a small structure fire. Cell phone video he captured shows the fire started as a small, localized event. The record heat and high winds quickly spread the flames to several hundred acres. As of June 20, the investigation into the cause and timeline of events continued.
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