I missed my update last night, but the news at this point is good. The fire is 55% contained, and all but 3,000 of the 32,000 evacuees have been allowed to return home. In the Mountain Shadows area, residents were bused in yesterday afternoon to look over their property and assess damage, although because of ongoing hot spots and structural instability, they aren’t yet able to stay overnight, even in the homes that have escaped damage. Residents were allowed back into Peregrine and Oak Valley (the community just under the gravel quarry/scar, between Mountain Shadows and Peregrine) at 8 last night. The pre-evacuation status has been lifted for Palmer Lake and the parts of Monument to which it pertained.

Highway 24 reopened to the public yesterday, although again, because of continuing hot spots, the authorities are asking that only those with legitimate reasons (aka residents, business owners, and travelers–not people like me who want to see what has happened but whose presence will simply clog the narrow curves along Ute Pass) use the highway for now. My brother and sister-in-law are coming later today, and they will travel by Hwy 24, so I’m eager to hear their report.

The Garden of the Gods park, which closed last weekend, is slated to reopen today, as is Palmer Park. The latter was not in direct danger from the fire, but because it affords good views of the foothills and Mountain Shadows, there was concern about the high number of people gathering there to watch Tuesday’s fires. Some of these onlookers were asinine enough to toss still-burning cigarette butts into the undergrowth–yes, while watching a massive forest fire that could have been started by just such a careless gesture–and even parking a vehicle on dry grass can start fires in these drought conditions, so the park was closed as a preventative measure.

The Cave of the Winds and the Manitou Cliff Dwellings are still closed.

Tragically, to balance the many stories of the community coming together to support the firefighters and evacuees, there are reports of vandalism and looting in the evacuated neighborhoods. People have returned to their homes to find electronics gone and their possessions scattered around and trashed. Why anyone would do this is incomprehensible to most of us. I realize that people with drug addictions often steal whatever isn’t nailed down and don’t or can’t care who they hurt–which does not in any way excuse their behavior–but the vandalism on top of the theft seems even more malicious. The DA is promising that if/when these looters are caught, they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I hope he means that.

Reports are that the two people who died in the fire were an elderly couple. (They lived across the street from longtime members of my parents’ church, so that’s my source.)

I want to share several links:

• Some of the firefighters risking their lives and health do not have insurance. I know some people may write off the Daily Kos because of its liberal bent, but please read this article regardless of your political persuasion. This is absolutely appalling. Congress ought to forfeit their free government healthcare unless and until all firefighters and police officers, whether seasonal or not, have adequate coverage.
• If you want to donate to help evacuees and those who have lost their homes, numerous organizations are providing assistance. Among these, Care and Share is conducting food drives and also accepts monetary contributions to feed those in need. The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region has been providing food, shelter, and care for evacuees’ pets. Goodwill is accepting donations specifically for the fire and providing vouchers for those who need to replace clothing, furnishings, and other household items.
• Map of homes impacted by the fire (zoom in to see specific houses and addresses)
• Impacted properties list (click on the link to open the PDF document–it’s alphabetical by street)
• Aerial photos taken earlier this week
• Photos of last week’s devastation–these are pretty dramatic and intense
• Good–and tearjerking–story about the Church on the Ranch, a congregation that met at the chapel on the Flying W Ranch
• This is kind of a fluff piece about forest supervisor Jerri Marr, who has become the focus of admiration and respect over the past week. This woman is articulate and smart and savvy. She has managed to attend press conferences two or three times a day without ever seeming exasperated or annoyed, handles asinine questions with humor, remains firm and on topic, and always manages to combine sincere grief with optimism. And to be fair to the writer of this article, I doubt Jerri Marr would have had the time or inclination this week to sit down for an interview when there’s so much work to be done.

In other news, the High Park fire is 100% contained. There are currently ten wildfires in Montana and eight (I think) in Utah–so the western United States is still in bad shape.