Colorado Is Engulfed in Flames
Colorado is fully on fire. A number of devastating blazes are currently raging across the state in various stages of non-containment. Governor John Hickenlooper is already calling this "the worst fire season in the history of Colorado."
Reuters reports that 32,000 people have been evacuated from their homes as a wildfire rips through an area that includes popular tourist attractions.
The evacuation zone covers the grounds of the U.S. Air Force Academy as well as some residences in Colorado Springs, the state's second most populous city. Nearby Pike's Peak, the site that inspired the lyrics to "America the Beautiful" (Colorado — who knew?) is also under threat.
People are certainly throwing around some pretty terrifying adjectives to describe the scene. Colorado Springs Fire Chief Rich Brown described the Waldo Canyon fire as one "of epic proportions." CNN kicked it up a notch to "hellish."
Meanwhile, a separate fire near Fort Collins, CO has now been recorded as the second largest on state record. It was sparked by lightning two weeks ago and has since consumed 87,250 acres of land (including 257 homes) and caused at least one death.
The Denver Post reports that IKEA is offering special one-time discounts to victims of that fire through December 31st. The discount, redeemable with a Red Cross voucher, offers 20 percent off kitchen items and 30 percent off items for the rest of the home, for a discount of up to $10,000 — basically equivalent to buying everything in a single IKEA.
Hot, windy conditions are expected to cause the fires to worsen as the week unfolds.
