If there's one thing Australia and Colorado have in common, it's fire. Please spare a thought for my hometown of Colorado Springs as it deals with the worst fire in Colorado history.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/worl...628-213d7.html

We spent a few days in your lovely hometown many years ago. Took our kids to the Children's Museum, toured the U.S. Air Force Academy and saw a baseball game with the Sky Sox.

I am certainly following the news and my thoughts are for those in Colorado Springs and elsewhere who are dealing with those wildfires.

Holding my breath for you, Mel.

My friend's son just graduated from Colorado College this past month, and is now on a trip deep in the wilds somewhere doing research for the BLM. We are thinking of him every day. I will extend those thoughts to those who are close to you there.

LisaG

oh, Melnq8, I do hope your family and friends in Colorado Springs are safe, and have suffered no damage. I saw the extent of the fire on the news tonight, and was shocked at how extensive it had become. Thoughts with you all. Dot

My thoughts are with you Mel. Saw it on the News tonight and it looks horrendous. I wish all your people and your town safety and a quick recovery.

You're all very kind, thank you.

Melnq8,

Our thoughts go out to you and your family! We hope that the homes of your family members have not been affected. We love Colorado, and have flown into Co Springs a number of times as our starting off point for other destinations. We've stayed in Manitou Springs or Cascades for our first or last nights, and were really saddened to see how the fires have affected those areas.

We're happy for you that when you returned home to Perth, your home was OK. We've had that scare of devastating weather hitting our area when we were traveling. (The latest was tornadoes which flattened homes within a few miles of our home when we were in Fiji in March, 2012, and we were very relieved to find out that our home was OK.) So we can identify with that feeling.

We'll continue to follow the news in CO and hope that the fires are brought under control. And we'll continue to send thoughts and prayers your way.

tomarkot -

Our families are safe, thank you. A few family members have been evacuated, but most live about five miles south of the fire, although that's not particularly comforting as I watch from halfway across the world.

A friend sent this link of aerial photos taken by the local newspaper in Denver, which gives some insight into the destruction.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured...ce=rsshomeblog

Mel it must be heart-breaking watching this on TV. So glad your family are safe, five miles does not seem to far away from the fires!!!. Hope they are under control very soon.

Me too nelsonian.

The fire is now 45% contained, but 17,659 acres have burned and 346 homes have been lost. They estimate the fire will burn well into July.

This video shows a five day timelapse of the fire. It's long, but compelling, especially around the seven and 11.5 minute mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBA7eHY022k&sns=fb

My thoughts are with you also Mel!

Good news - the fire is 100% contained!

Mel, that is great news! Thanks for letting us know. I hadn't seen or heard anything lately, and wondered what was happening.

Great news indeed, dotty.

Now the clean-up begins. This slideshow pretty much sums it up:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...#slide=1186158

Not a comforting sight, though many wonderful photos. So glad that it is contained.

Melnq8, glad your family is safe.

I took a look at the photos. Amazing, the way fire destroys some homes, but leaves others mere metres away untouched.

It is pretty amazing Sue. Tornadoes do the same thing...it's as if they pick and choose what to destroy.