Fire on the Mountain

Yesterday, just after lunch we heard loud thunder. We were all excited to think that maybe we were getting a big rain storm. Denver had broke the record having 23 days in a row above 90. And the last week, several days above 100. Denver is also in a record breaking dry summer with little rain. It has been very hot and dry, so we welcome the rain. Grandpa went out on the back porch to see if it was going to start raining and saw a huge bolt of lightening go straight down to the ground. He may have very well seen the bolt that struck the mountain and started the fire. We left after that and went to run some errands, as we were driving down Union, Grandpa turned and saw flames and smoke on the mountain. We turned around and went back home. That is where we saw the fire moving down the hill towards the houses. We watched it for awhile and then left to go finish our errands. We were at Costco at 54th and Wadsworth and we saw the sky filled with smoke. We came home to a house full of smoke! The winds had shifted and the main part of the fire was headed for the 6th ave estates. It caught one home on fire but it suffered only minor damage. Shortly after that the winds changed sending the fire to the house just above Grandpa's house. We watched the news and then went to go see it for ourselves but the police were turning everyone away. The kids and I were stopped by a police officer that scared the kids saying that we needed to get home and pack up and leave. Grandpa did the the phone call saying to evacuate, but we didn't. The planes dropping the red slurry would fly right over Grandpa's house. I was in the back with Kylee and Cody and Trenton was in the front with Grandpa when one flew over so low over the house I am surprised Grandpa still has all his singles on the roof. Anyway when it went over Trenton and Grandpa, Trenton ducked so fast. Grandpa had to laugh at that. Then the helicopter also flew right over the house to dump water. He was getting it from that little pond in the park above Union. It made several trips. So much action was happening the kids loved watching the planes and the helicopter. There were also fire trucks coming from all over the city of Denver to help battle the fire. This morning Trenton, Grandpa and I went to see the damage. Center was covered in the red slurry stuff. We then walked up on the mountain to see the huge burn area. The news say that over 300 acres burned. Grandpa and I walk every morning, but I have never seen so many people out checking everything out. I wish that my pictures could do justice to it, but they do not. It was amazing! The amount of ground that burned and how quickly it burnt was simply amazing. Grandpa says that all the rattle snakes will be coming down to the houses since the mountain is all burned up.