Black Forest Fire rages on: Over 94,000 acres evacuated, 360 homes destroyed

Posted at 12:05 pm on June 13, 2013 by Sarah D.

At a press conference this morning, El Paso County Sheriff Maketa updated the community on the status of the horrific Black Forest Fire. The evacuation area now encompasses 94,000 acres, and 360 homes have already been destroyed, making this the most destructive wildfire in Colorado’s history:

#BlackForestFire now the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history. @KOAA_5
— Adam Atchison (@AdamAtchison) June 13, 2013

Those numbers are expected to grow.

UPDATE – Sheriff Maketa: Evacuation area covers 94,000 acres. #BlackForestFire
— EPCSheriff (@EPCSheriff) June 13, 2013

UPDATE – Sheriff Maketa: 1,205 homes unaffected, 14 partially damaged, 79 unverified, 360 homes completely lost. #BlackForestFire
— EPCSheriff (@EPCSheriff) June 13, 2013

UPDATE – Sheriff Maketa: Another red flag warning day after 11 am. #BlackForestFire
— EPCSheriff (@EPCSheriff) June 13, 2013

UPDATE – Sheriff Maketa: "Wind is our number one threat. It has been the game changer." #BlackForestFire
— EPCSheriff (@EPCSheriff) June 13, 2013

UPDATE – National Guard and Police are protecting evacuated areas. #BlackForestFire
— EPCSheriff (@EPCSheriff) June 13, 2013

UPDATE – Sheriff Maketa – re: Security "You cannot drive a street in there without running into law enforcement" #BlackForestFire
— EPCSheriff (@EPCSheriff) June 13, 2013

UPDATE – Sheriff Maketa: "As of 6 am this morning, we have begun transition to the Type I incident command." #BlackForestFire
— EPCSheriff (@EPCSheriff) June 13, 2013

UPDATE – Sheriff Maketa: No update on the missing person report at this time. #BlackForestFire
— EPCSheriff (@EPCSheriff) June 13, 2013

UPDATE – Sheriff Maketa: "Home assessments can change in 10 minutes. We are trying to keep it as accurate as possible." #BlackForestFire
— EPCSheriff (@EPCSheriff) June 13, 2013

UPDATE – Sheriff Maketa: "This fire has been very hot, very intense. #BlackForestFire
— EPCSheriff (@EPCSheriff) June 13, 2013

"This fire was very hot, very intense," Maketa said. "We see where homes were lost, they were complete losses." #blackforestfire @csgazette
— Ryan Maye Handy (@ryanmhandy) June 13, 2013

Homes that had been spared have been consumed by the flames:

Some homes listed yesterday as unaffected were later destroyed due to the fire backburning. #BlackForestFire
— KKTV 11 News (@kktv11news) June 13, 2013

https://twitter.com/SunflowerSpruce/status/345203263685160960

There is reportedly little to no containment:

#BlackForestFire UPDATE – Still no containment, per @ EPCSheriff pic.twitter.com/3EDbvIHLlW – LIVESTREAM: http://t.co/aOn73AD317
— Denver7 News (@DenverChannel) June 13, 2013

And the winds are a critical factor in the fire’s development.

@sarahbellumd Dunno. They didn't say. Mostly they're worried about the winds picking back up like they do in the afternoons.
— Stephen Green (@VodkaPundit) June 13, 2013

Gusty winds are turning small embers into large flames. #blackforestfire
— Kelly Jensen (@KellyJensenCO) June 13, 2013

Firefighters dealing with intense hot spots in north part of #BlackForestFire. Major concerns about strong winds.
— Jordan Steffen (@jsteffendp) June 13, 2013

Crews bracing for winds as strong as 35 mph near #BlackForestFire. Paying close attention to activity in the north and northwest.
— Jordan Steffen (@jsteffendp) June 13, 2013

There’s a strong military presence in the community:

National Guard HUMVEES patrolling evacuated areas. #BlackForestFire
— Stephen Green (@VodkaPundit) June 13, 2013

Huge military help for #blackforestfire: 2 Chinook & 2 Blackhawks from Ft Carson, plus 2 Blackhawks from National Guard & comm support.
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) June 13, 2013

52nd Engineer Battalion cutting fire lines for #blackforestfire like they did for #waldocanyonfire.
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) June 13, 2013

A bit of good news amidst the ashes:

UPDATE – Sheriff Maketa: No reports of injuries or fatalities at this time. #BlackForestFire
— EPCSheriff (@EPCSheriff) June 13, 2013

And an encouraging display of community goodwill:

County official: El Pomar Foundation donated $250,000 for #blackforestfire victims/evacuees. "We come together & take care of each other."
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) June 13, 2013

The sheriff will hold another briefing later this afternoon: