Some believe Waldo Canyon Fire started Friday
With full containment of the Waldo Canyon Fire now in sight, some want investigation leaders to take a closer look at when this fire began.
One of those people is Dr. David Scola. He called 911 at 8 p.m. Friday, June 22, after seeing a light trail of smoke to the west of Cave of the Winds. Scola said he saw a helicopter in the area just afterwards and assumed they pilot had seen the smoke as well.
On Saturday, June 23, Scola saw a huge pillar of smoke in nearly the same spot.
“I don’t think it’s unusual that there were no other reports of smoke because I have a unique vantage point,” said Scola, who lives in Crystal Park.
He was evacuated from his home early in the morning of June 24 because of the fire.
“I was hoping disaster could be averted. Obviously, it couldn’t,” said Scola.
His home was not burned by the fire, but on Tuesday the fire, fueled by 65 mph wind gusts, spilled into the Mountain Shadows neighborhood. It destroyed 346 homes and damaged others.
“The fact that I called 911 and it still happened and I had no feedback is disturbing,” said Scola. “What happened when they investigated? It just bothers me.”
Initially, the fire was called the Pyramid Mountain Fire by the Colorado Springs Fire Department. But, the fire began on U.S. Forest Service land, and those incident leaders called it the Waldo Canyon Fire right from the beginning.
The U.S. Forest Service maintains it’s official position that the fire began at noon June 23.
Scola hopes that investigators looking into the cause of the fire take his information seriously.
“It seemed to be there Friday evening, so if they’re looking for somebody there Saturday morning, I think they have to look for someone there Friday afternoon if someone actually started it,” said Scola.
A hotline has been established for tips related to the origin of the Waldo Canyon Fire. Please call 719-444-7000 if you have any information that can help.
