Waldo’s Inferno: A timeline of event’s for one of Colorado’s worst wildfires
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- It's been a decade since one of Colorado's worst wildfires on record erupted in Southern Colorado, destroying hundreds of homes and claiming two lives.
June of 2012 brought intense heat. During the last week of the month, firefighters were on edge after dealing with a string of roughly 20 arson fires in Teller county.
While the official start date of the Waldo Canyon Fire is considered Saturday, June 23, 2012, it was likely ignited the day before, Friday, June 22. That day, the Manitou Springs Fire Department responded to reports of smoke coming from the Waldo Trail, Pyramid Mountain area. Firefighters were dispatched there, and despite searching into the night, they couldn't find flames.
On Saturday, June 23, 2012, a single - but sizeable - plume of smoke appeared, coming from the Waldo Canyon area. The smoke was visible from most of the Pikes Peak region. Given the Red Flag Warning and temperatures that soared to 100 degrees that day, no time was wasted getting firefighters to the scene.
That day, evacuations were ordered for the Cedar Heights neighborhood, and bulldozers began digging a fire break to prevent the flames from crossing into the residential zone. The highly-populated Garden of the Gods was evacuated as well as parts of the Mountain Shadows neighborhood. Oddly, hikers were still on the Waldo Canyon trail, which was also evacuated.
Sunday, June 24, marked another Red Flag Warning day. Due to the fire spreading south and west, Highway 24 between Manitou Springs and Woodland Park was closed and wouldn't reopen until July 1, 2012. Towns along Ute Pass, Green Mountain Falls, Cascade, and Manitou Springs, were evacuated.
Monday, June 25, marked the third consecutive Red Flag Warning day for the area. The winds shifted, pushing the fire toward Eagle Lake Camp, and Rampart Reservoir.
Tuesday, June 26, was a day of tremendous loss for Colorado Springs. Red Flag Warnings persisted for a fourth day, with temperatures reaching 101 degrees. By 4 p.m., the Waldo Canyon Fire had reached the top of Queen's Canyon, otherwise known as Rampart Range Road. Simultaneously, a collapsing thunderstorm pushed winds down the Rampart Range up to 65 miles per hour, a devastating event that defied typical fire behavior of crawling uphill.
By 4:20 p.m. then-Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach ordered immediate evacuations. A staggering 26,000 people had to make their way out of neighborhoods, some, taking two hours to escape the oncoming flames, due to traffic-filled streets.
That day, the fire swallowed the majority of the 347 total homes that were destroyed.
The Waldo Canyon Fire also took the lives of William and Barbara Everett that Tuesday. Their bodies were discovered inside their home on Rossmere Street days later.
Wednesday, June 27, then-Governor John Hickenlooper declared the Waldo Canyon Fire a Disaster Emergency.
In the days that followed, then-President Barack Obama reached out to Gov. Hickenlooper to offer his support and say he planned to visit the devastated neighborhoods. On Friday, June 29, President Obama met with firefighters who were on the front lines of fighting the blaze and walked through the now-charred neighborhoods.
The Waldo Canyon Fire was declared fully contained on July 10, 2012. However, it would continue to smolder well into the fall months. At that time, the Waldo Canyon Fire was considered the most destructive wildfire in state history.
To read the full Waldo Canyon Fire After-Action Report, click here.
