Photo By Devin Fisher | The Waldo Canyon Fire burns on the mountainside near U.S. Air Force Academy, Mountain...... read more read more
FORT CARSON, Colo. - Residents from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Mountain Shadows and Peregrine neighborhoods evacuated Tuesday evening to shelters on Fort Carson as the Waldo Canyon Fire threatened homes northwest of Interstate 25.
Fort Carson officials began preparing for evacuees Monday in the Special Events Center.
“Our Soldiers and civilians came together to support servicemembers from the U.S. Air Force Academy displaced by the fires,” said Col. Bruce Antonia, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson chief of staff. “We prepared for this type of scenario and because of that preparation we were able to ease the process for over 60 evacuees. We will continue to support our servicemembers and their loved ones in whatever way we can. Additionally, we will continue to support the greater Colorado Springs community under constraints of federal statutes. ”
The fires, which began Saturday, burned 15,324 acres as of press time, Wednesday.
Firefighters from Fort Carson joined more than 1,000 firefighters battling the blaze, which continues to pose a threat to residential neighborhoods and is not expected to be contained until mid-July.
“We received a call pretty early Saturday requesting an engine,” said Chief Glen Silloway, Fort Carson Fire Department, Directorate of Emergency Services.
Fire department officials said 24 firefighters and eight firefighting vehicles assisted in a mutual aid effort with the city of Colorado Springs.
“We’re continuing to support on this,” said Battalion Chief Tom Joyce, Fort Carson Fire Department.
Evacuees, including Soldiers stationed at Fort Carson, gathered at the SEC and Youth Services Center shelters with their pets.
Family member Karina Arias said she had 15 minutes to evacuate.
“It was horrible,” she said. “The flames were already on the grass.”
Arias said her home, near 30th Street and Centennial Boulevard, was at risk of burning.
“I just don’t know if my house is on fire or not,” she said. “You just don’t know what to do.”
Volunteers and military personnel were prepared to help Arias and other evacuees.
“We’re anticipating 400 (evacuees),” said Sabine Clark, Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation facility manager. “If we get too crowded, we have shelters at the youth center and other gyms.”
Clark said her staff began preparing for an evacuation scenario Monday.
“You want this to be smooth,” said Nick Nicholson, DFMWR staff member. “We want to mitigate their suffering by taking care of their basic needs.”
Nicholson said the center had phones for evacuees to get in touch with loved ones, a television with continuous news coverage and cots. Medical personnel from Evans Army Community Hospital, military police, fire department personnel and commissary workers were also available to help where needed.
Bill Reed, SEC manager, said this wasn’t the first time the SEC has been converted into a makeshift shelter.
“A couple years ago we set up for the Cañon City Fire,” he said. “After 9/11, we had a whole battalion set up in here for a month. Been there and done this one.”
USO volunteers handed out care packages with toiletries, snacks, cell phone chargers and crossword puzzles to evacuees.
“We have eight volunteers and more on standby,” said Phil Martinez, Rocky Mountain USO director. “We’re here for the whole night.”
As evacuees continued to trickle in, Soldier volunteers from several units set up cots for their displaced members in uniform.
Sgt. Ryan Hoyme, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Carson, arrived at the SEC with his wife and two sons, Davin, 9, and Logan, 10. Hoyme said his son, Davin, was playing outside when the orders to evacuate came.
“He didn’t have time to grab a shirt,” Hoyme said. “They put us on pre-evacuation orders and 15 minutes later they were telling us to leave.”
Hoyme said volunteers at the SEC were able to provide his son with a sweatshirt.
“I’ve been through hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes and snowstorms, but this is my first forest fire,” he said. “I’m a combat veteran and I can handle a lot, but I’m a family man. … I want to make sure they’re OK.”
| Date Taken: | 06.26.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 06.27.2012 18:51 |
| Story ID: | 90718 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 1,046 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Post hosts USAFA evacuees, by Andrea Sutherland, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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