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Urban fires in Denver...

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foggydogg
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Post by foggydogg »

...Matthew, hope all is well.
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BlackBart
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Post by BlackBart »

It’s a bizarre combination of factors. It’s bone dry down there and has been for a long time, they’ve had almost no snow this fall until now. Crazy downslope winds along the Rocky Mountain front regularly blow down the foothills into Boulder and Ft Collins. These were even worse - freak winds, 100 mph.

Overhead power lines aren’t designed to handle that. They went down, shorted out, and lit the blowtorch.

Urban growth and housing costs have pushed these new subdivisions, scattered in formerly wild grasslands. It appears there’s no way to fight any fire in 80 mph wind.
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BlackBart
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Post by BlackBart »

Denver Post reporting two people missing.

Winds explainer article:
https://www.denverpost.com/2021/12/31/m ... o-weather/
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BlackBart
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Post by BlackBart »

3 missing, presumed dead.
991 houses lost, plus many damaged.
Now they’re not so sure about power lines as the source.
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BlackBart
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Post by BlackBart »

EDIT - one of those three found alive.
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foggydogg
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Post by foggydogg »

Sad and scary, and a miracle that most folks were able to escape. The news showed video of some mothers trying to force open a door against the wind so they could evacuate their children. Terrifying to watch.
And now snow and deep cold, just to finish off the nightmare.
69 1800s, @500k Death by Rust
94 850 Turbo, T-boned, ambulance for me, crusher for it
97 855 T5, 855 R projects
98 V70R x2, Silver Junkyard rescue, Coral Red
98 V70GLT x2, parts cars
00 V70xc x2, both now dead
62 122s, gone to live in Richmond
56 445 Duett basket project
1950 Studebaker 2R10 flatbed, T9 crashbox

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foggydogg
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Post by foggydogg »

This fellow is a 777 pilot, ex-Air Force and ANG, with air-attack firedrop experience. I follow him for his aviation accident analysis, but he covers some of these weather-related events too. Pretty good explanation of down-slope lapse rate.
69 1800s, @500k Death by Rust
94 850 Turbo, T-boned, ambulance for me, crusher for it
97 855 T5, 855 R projects
98 V70R x2, Silver Junkyard rescue, Coral Red
98 V70GLT x2, parts cars
00 V70xc x2, both now dead
62 122s, gone to live in Richmond
56 445 Duett basket project
1950 Studebaker 2R10 flatbed, T9 crashbox

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Post by abscate »

Drone footage is amazing.
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Post by Sveedy »

Ok I think we need a " welfare " check Matt...
Try to learn life's bad lessons vicariously through others.


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