KOAA.com

Tagged News

• City to host wildfire awareness meeting

  January 2, 2013 1:36 PM

  COLORADO SPRINGS -Emergency managers in the City of Colorado Springs will host an informational meeting later this month to increase awareness about the danger of wildfires and the need for emergency preparedness. Fire Chief Rich Brown, Fire Marshall Bret Lacey and Emergency Manager Bret Waters will discuss evacuation planning... more »

• Wildfires burn 7,000 acres in western Colorado

  May 27, 2012 2:55 PM

  MONTROSE, Colo. (AP) - Gusty winds have spread two wildfires in western Colorado that have burned more than 7,000 acres and prompted the evacuation of several campgrounds. U.S. Forest Service spokesman Steve Segin says crews are battling a wildfire that has scorched at least 5,000 acres of rugged canyon land... more »

• Perry leaves Texas wildfires, heads to GOP debate

  September 7, 2011 4:42 PM

  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry has left the wildfires raging in his home state and arrived in California for a Republican presidential debate. Perry suspended his campaign Sunday as his state battles a series of still-raging wildfires that have destroyed more 1,000 homes. He left Texas again... more »

• Texas wildfires now 30 percent contained

  September 7, 2011 8:24 AM

  BASTROP, Texas (AP) - The Texas Forest Service says massive wildfires near Austin are 30 percent contained. Agency spokeswoman April Saginor says lighter winds have helped firefighting efforts in Bastrop County, where blazes have destroyed more than 600 homes and blackened about 45 square miles. Saginor says the... more »

• Perry undecided on GOP debate because of wildfires

  September 6, 2011 12:49 PM

  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Gov. Rick Perry isn't yet saying if he plans to take part in a Republican presidential debate in California or stay in Texas to deal with wildfires that officials say destroyed more than 1,000 homes in a week. Perry says he is "substantially more concerned"... more »

• Fire restrictions on Rio Grande National Forest

  June 19, 2011 11:47 AM

  MONTE VISTA, Colo. (AP) - The Rio Grande National Forest is implementing fire restrictions starting Monday. Fire operations specialist Paul Duarte of the San Luis Valley Public Lands Center says not a lot of vegetation has turned green, and most of the forest is dry. The restrictions prohibit... more »

• New Mexico fire Fire destroys shelter and forested acres in a state park

  June 15, 2011 6:30 PM

  RATON, N.M. (AP) - Officials with New Mexico State Parks say about half of the forested acres at Sugarite Canyon State Park have been blackened by a wildfire burning along the New Mexico-Colorado border. The Track Fire northeast of Raton also destroyed a group shelter at the park, but officials... more »

• More people told to evacuate near NM-Colo. fire

  June 15, 2011 1:25 PM

  RATON, N.M. (AP) - Forest Service officials say the Track fire burning in New Mexico and Colorado is now 5 percent contained. The wildfire has burned 25,349 acres or 39 square miles north of Raton and south of Trinidad, Colo. Residents will get a chance Wednesday to hear from... more »

• 2 fires burning on Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site

  June 8, 2011 4:59 PM

  Crews are fighting two fires on the Army's Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site, located in southeastern Colorado. The site is utilized by Fort Carson soldiers for training. The first fire, discovered late Tuesday morning, is being called the Callie Marie Fire -- burning about 3,500 acres on PCMS and U.S.... more »

• Arizona fire crews weren't able to complete lines overnight

  June 8, 2011 4:58 PM

  SPRINGERVILLE, Ariz. (AP) - Fire crews in Arizona had been hoping that some fire lines they were burning overnight would help slow the advance of a raging forest fire in eastern Arizona. But a fire information officer says only some of the lines were burned before humidity levels got too... more »

• Warm, dry conditions are fuel for fires in our viewing area

  May 7, 2011 6:03 PM

  Today's warmer than normal temperatures and the already dry conditions are making things a bit difficult for fire crews all along the Front Range. Fire crews in La junta just completed fighting a fire along Hwy 50 that burned more than 100 acres. Fire crews have already rushed to grass... more »

• Requested firefighting funds down for FY 2012

  April 28, 2011 12:31 PM

  DENVER (AP) - The national budget for fighting wildfires may be cut next fiscal year with fire season well under way in Colorado. For fiscal 2011, which began Oct. 1, President Barack Obama's administration requested nearly $3.6 billion in appropriations and discretionary funds for the U.S. Forest Service and... more »

• Texas firefighter grants missed fire-prone areas

  April 24, 2011 4:19 PM

  DALLAS (AP) - A state review has found that some Texas counties scorched by this month's out-of-control wildfires got only a small portion of the more than $128 million the state doled out to volunteer fire departments for training and equipment in the past decade. The Texas Sunset Advisory... more »

• Colorado AF Reservists answer call to provide assistance for Mexico fires

  April 16, 2011 2:14 PM

  PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - Approximately 30 Air Force Reservists and two Modular Airborne Firefighting System equipped C-130 Hercules from Colorado's 302nd Airlift Wing will leave Saturday, April 16 to begin travel to support wildland fires in Northern Mexico, approximately 60 miles south of the Texas border. The MAFFS... more »

• Weather conditions could worsen Texas wildfires

  April 10, 2011 10:49 AM

  TEXAS (AP) - There are dire warnings today about hot dry conditions as wildfires continue to rage out of control in Texas. The biggest fire is around 125 square miles and was sparked by pipe cutting. Another blaze destroyed several structures in Fort Davis. Volunteer firefighter Jim Fowler... more »

• Insurance agent says most Colorado homes are underinsured

  March 26, 2011 7:09 PM

  Fires have burned thousands of acres this week, and getting dangerously close to homes along the Front Range. A local insurance agent says two-thirds of Colorado homes are underinsured. So are you prepared if your house is in the line of fire? David Reed got a good look... more »

• Sen. Udall seeks money for bark beetle mitigation

  March 26, 2011 12:36 PM

  DENVER (AP) - U.S. Sen. Mark Udall is urging federal officials to fund efforts to mitigate the effects of bark beetles in Colorado and other Western states. Bark beetles have killed 4 million acres of forests in Colorado and Wyoming, and Udall says he's growing more concerned about the... more »

• Update: Crews battling fire in Boulder County mountains

  October 29, 2010 4:17 PM

  Crews battling a 144-acre wildfire west of Boulder are hoping they'll get some help from calmer winds and higher humidity. Hundreds of people in the west part of Boulder and in the mountains west of the city left their homes when two fires started Friday. The fires have... more »

• Buyer beware: concert tickets come with strings

  September 28, 2010 9:33 AM

  Tickets for a concert benefiting the victims of the wildfire near Boulder are being offered for hundreds of dollars despite efforts to prevent scalping. The tickets officially went for $60 a piece and sold out in two minutes. The Daily Camera reports that bidding for one pair of... more »

• 2 arrested for alleged theft from destroyed homes

  September 24, 2010 8:11 AM

  Two men have been arrested on suspicion of stealing scrap metal from homes destroyed in the wildfire west of Boulder. Cesar Antonio Ayala, 20, and Jorge Salgado, 35, of Lafayette each face charges of burglary and felony theft. Boulder County Sheriff's Sgt. Tom McGrath says the two are... more »

• Fire mitigation west of Boulder under review

  September 20, 2010 8:24 AM

  Fire management officials say removing trees and clearing brush and other fire mitigation worked by some measures, even though the Labor Day fire west of here was the most destructive in Colorado history in terms of homes lost. There were no reported serious injuries or deaths from the 3,500... more »

• $900k available to protect water in fire zones

  September 16, 2010 4:53 PM

  The state will provide up to $900,000 to help protect water supplies because of damage from two major wildfires. Gov. Bill Ritter issued an executive order Thursday making the money available through grants to Larimer and Boulder counties and non-profits working with them. The fires destroyed nearly 170 homes... more »

• Park County institutes fire ban

  September 16, 2010 2:41 PM

  Going camping this weekend? Add Park County to the list of places that have banned fires. Park joins El Paso and Fremont counties in banning outdoor fires, following the devastating wildfires in Boulder and Loveland. more »

• Charges may be filed in Colorado wildfires

  September 14, 2010 8:54 AM

  Authorities say they don't know if they'll file charges in either of the two wildfires in Colorado. The one near Boulder, which destroyed more than 160 homes, is now contained. Investigators believe it was sparked by a fire that a resident had set days earlier in a fire pit.... more »

• 2 homes feared lost in second Colorado wildfire

  September 13, 2010 1:04 PM

  Authorities believe a new wildfire burning in the foothills of northern Colorado has destroyed two homes. Larimer County sheriff's Maj. Bill Nelson said Monday that there are six to 10 homes within a half mile of the fire that started Sunday, but the fire wasn't moving very aggressively. ... more »

• Colorado researchers study link between climate, wildfires

  September 2, 2010 8:39 AM

  Scientists in Montana, Colorado and Idaho are conducting a $3.85 million research project into how a changing climate will influence wildfires. Work started Wednesday on the project, which is being pursued in partnership with scientists in Australia and New Zealand. Montana State University professor Cathy Whitlock says the... more »

• Homeowners flee Montana wildfire

  August 27, 2010 12:43 PM

  Wildfires drove early morning evacuations in western Montana. A cold front brought lightning and sparked seven fires on forest service and private land. Ravalli County authorities began knocking on doors at 3 a.m. Friday, warning residents about three miles west of Hamilton that a fire in the Bitterroot National... more »

• 1,200 homes under evacuation orders in LA County

  July 30, 2010 8:10 AM

  Firefighters plan an aggressive air attack at first light Friday against a fast-moving wildfire that exploded in northern Los Angeles County, chewing through more than 4,500 acres of dry brush, forcing thousands of evacuations and burning at least three structures. There is zero containment, authorities said. Three water-dropping... more »

• Wildfire flares-up near Sand Dunes

  July 7, 2010 10:06 AM

  A wildfire that's been burning near the Great Sand Dunes National Park since last month flared up Tuesday when thunderstorms moved through the area. Called the Medano Fire, the blaze has now consumed more than 6,200 acres. More than 200 firefighters have made a line all the way around... more »

• 600 homes ordered evacuated due to L.A. rain

  January 20, 2010 2:58 PM

  Hundreds of people living below fire-stripped mountains were under orders to leave their homes Wednesday as another Pacific storm hit Southern California on the heels of powerful systems that have flooded coastal communities, spawned a tornado and killed one person. Los Angeles County and city authorities issued mandatory evacuation... more »

• Second in series of storms expected to hit California

  January 19, 2010 10:56 AM

  The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for areas of Southern California scarred by last summers wildfires as authorities and residents brace for another day of heavy rains. The agency's flash flood watch, issued early Tuesday, is for burn areas in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and... more »

• Logging for the forest service to fight wildfires

  January 12, 2010 7:55 PM

  The US Forest Service is trying to better prevent catastrophic fires in our state by thinning the number of trees in the forest. They have contracted with logging companies to cut down trees in several large-acre swaths of Colorado's national forest lands. Under a 10 year public/private forest stewardship... more »

• Wildfires destroy homes in Australia

  December 30, 2009 9:17 AM

  Hundreds of people in western Australia have fled ahead of a wildfire that has destroyed nearly 40 homes. At least three people were injured as two major blazes burned out of control after breaking out Tuesday in a wheat and sheep farming district north of the coastal city of Perth.... more »

• Feds announce $40 million to battle bark beetles

  December 8, 2009 11:28 AM

  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the U.S. Forest Service is funneling an additional $40 million to Rocky Mountain states to address the effects of a bark beetle infestation that has killed millions of acres of trees. Vilsack said Tuesday that the focus will be the most severely affected states: Colorado,... more »

• California wildfire stalled by record low temperatures

  October 7, 2009 10:50 AM

  A low-pressure system that's brought record low temperatures to Southern California is helping firefighters battle a blaze near the mountain community of Wrightwood. The fire in the San Bernardino Mountains was 75 percent contained Wednesday morning and hadn't grown. Evacuation orders for thousands of people were lifted on Tuesday. The... more »

• California residents call for probe into fire response

  September 29, 2009 12:01 PM

  People affected by the massive wildfire that burned about 250 square miles northeast of Los Angeles are calling for a federal investigation into what they say was a poor initial response to the blaze. Angry residents of the Big Tujunga Canyon area packed a meeting hall Monday night to confront... more »

• Hot, windy weather stokes Southern California blaze

  September 24, 2009 10:14 AM

  A major air assault is planned this morning in Southern California where a wildfire has chewed through more than 25 square miles of bone dry brush, threatening hundreds of homes. A multimillion dollar agriculture industry and valuable oil production fields are also at risk. Firefighters are focused today on the... more »

• LA-area wildfire will take more time to contain

  September 22, 2009 1:50 PM

  Authorities say they expect it to take longer to contain a month-old wildfire near Los Angeles as crews brace for Santa Ana winds that could fan the smoldering blaze to life. The 251-square-mile fire in the San Gabriel Mountains is 94 percent contained. Full containment was predicted by Tuesday evening,... more »

• Firefighters gaining on Los Angeles-area wildfire

  September 4, 2009 8:57 AM

  Fire bosses say they are making progress in taming the 226-square-mile arson fire north of Los Angeles that has led to a homicide investigation into the deaths of two firefighters. Fire spokesman John Huschke said early Friday that "it's pretty quiet" on the fire lines as hand crews and bulldozers... more »

• California residents return to survey fire damage

  September 3, 2009 8:21 AM

  Bulldozers are carving fire breaks along the southeast flank of a menacing 219-square-mile Southern California wildfire to keep a flare-up of flames away from foothill homes in Pasadena, Arcadia, Sierra Madre, Duarte and Monrovia. Fire spokeswoman Jennifer Sanchez said early Thursday that the vegetation-clearing construction of containment lines is designed... more »

• Firefighters making progress against California fires

  September 2, 2009 2:10 PM

  As firefighters set out for another day of combat against a giant wildfire north of Los Angeles, they've had a visit from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who helped serve them breakfast. Firefighters have created a perimeter around 22 percent of the blaze, but bulldozers still have 95 miles of fire lines... more »

• Flames seen near observatory

  September 1, 2009 6:56 PM

  Flames have been seen near the historic observatory atop Mount Wilson north of Los Angeles. But the flames spotted from a TV helicopter appear small, and firefighters are still on the mountain trying to protect the site. Mount Wilson is also home to at least 20 TV transmission towers and... more »

• Health advisory issued for smoky skies

  September 1, 2009 6:17 PM

  Roaring wildfires in California and other western states and Canada have filled Colorado's skies with a choking , white haze. Tuesday afternoon, the state health department issued a health advisory: Active children, active adults, and people with respiratory illnesses should limit prolonged outdoor exertion from 2 PM until midnight tonight.... more »

• California wildfires to blame for our smoky skies

  August 31, 2009 5:03 PM

  Firefighters have been chasing down reports of smoke and the smell of smoke for much of the day Monday. Turns out the smoke has traveled a long way--from California. National Weather Service meteorologist Norv Larson said, "Looking at satellite trajectories, we can follow it all the way back to California.... more »