Cascade fire crews on patrol before Waldo Canyon fire

Before the massive Waldo Canyon wildfire, Cascade fire crews were on a heightened sense of alert. There were patrols going on to make sure the nearby Teller County arsonist wasn’t planning on setting blazes in this small community.

I spoke with Cascade Fire Chief Michael Whittemore. He told me, “Teller County was asking for our assistance so we bumped up the pass to help in Crystola. There was a high level of alertness established. The department established patrols and they patrols would come out to forested areas which included up on the Pikes Peak Highway and make sure nothing was happening in our community.”

I asked Chief Whittemore, “During your patrols did you encounter anything?” Whittemore responded, “We did not encounter anything in our district that was suspect.”

The big question now is how the Waldo Canyon wildfire started. I asked Chief Whittemore since Waldo Canyon is so close to Cascade, “Have you had contact with the Point of Origin team?” Chief Whittemore responded, “I’m not going to comment on any contact with the point of origin team.”

The big concern now in the fire zone is potential flooding because of the all the fuels that were burned in the wildfire. What I’ve learned is, the community of Cascade is getting a sand bag brigade ready.