I’m headed to the mountains for a couple of days and will very likely not have internet access. (Yes, there may even be camping involved, which is a pretty big deal because I. do. not. camp.*) So I wanted to post a quick update before I leave. The Waldo Canyon fire is at 80% containment now, which many of us–certainly I–did not imagine a week ago would have been possible this quickly. Most evacuees are back in their homes; out of 32,000 people who had to evacuate, only 2,000 have not been allowed to return. (Actually, the number may be even lower by now.) I believe this is mostly people from Mountain Shadows. I haven’t heard the latest on whether those whose homes are intact have been allowed to stay.

My drive today will take me up Highway 24, through some of the burn area and right past the entrance to Waldo Canyon. I don’t know if I’ll have the opportunity to take photos; I’m certainly not going to stop in the middle of the road to shoot pictures, and last I heard, the shoulders were still blocked off to allow firefighters access. But if I do get any decent shots, I’ll post them Friday or Saturday.

Fireworks displays have been canceled due to the extreme fire danger. The only reason I’m even remotely disappointed is because my nephew had such a hilarious reaction to the “fi’works” last Fourth of July.

Even as the threat seems to have moved on from Colorado Springs, we hear daily about new wildfires raging throughout the west. There are major blazes in Wyoming, Utah, and South Dakota, and I believe Montana has the most fires burning the most acres of anywhere in the U.S. Please keep all the firefighters and the people (and animals) who live in these areas in your thoughts and prayers.

*I’m not a princess; I have no problem sleeping in my car or peeing outside. I just don’t see the point of camping when, well, you could sack out in your nice cozy car with reclining seats and music and locks on the doors and a heater/AC unit and a dome light by which you can read. And no, I don’t kill my battery, but I do like those little luxuries. Anyway, this potential camping would include my favorite nephew and my favorite niece, meaning even I may not be able to pass up the opportunity.)