Epicenter of A Firestorm in Southern Colorado

For the last few weeks, the streets of Westcliffe and Silver Cliff have been busy with tourists and locals enjoying activities like the Mountain Hay Fever Bluegrass Festival and the Stampede and Custer County Fair. The economic season is in full swing, with added visitors — including firefighters and evacuees. For most of July, the Aspen Acres Fire has had its command center in Custer County. A cloud of smoke hung over the big mountain valley through picking and riding events, until a mid-summer cloudburst last night cleared the air.

This morning on the Bluff, at the grocery store, and at Custer County Schools, many firefighters began to break camp. The fire isn't completely knocked down — perhaps 65% contained — and camp is being moved closer to Huerfano County, in the small town of Gardner. A firefighter from Minnesota who was breaking camp this morning said, "All signs lead me closer to home."

Watch Duty

And yet, the prayer for rain is a mixed blessing. Sekhar Padmanabhan, a reporter for the website Watch Duty, reports that "a flash flood warning is in effect Thursday afternoon into the evening in the areas around the burn scar." That would include residents who are just being allowed back into their homes and cabins in Rye and near Mackenzie Junction. A Recovery Assistance Center at 2670 Delphinium Street in Pueblo is issuing re-entry cards for Rye residents.

Radius and Break-Thru Reports

In the coming weeks, Sound Century Academy and Sound Century Radio will be putting together teams of CORE Respondents. These are media teams who will be reporting from a radius of communities and reporting to our Break-Thru Newsroom in cooperation with My Local Press. CORE Respondents are community leaders who are independently united in getting information and stories out locally and through the Beattie Network. If you would like to apply to become a student or community reporter, email richardbeattie809@gmail.com.