Living in an area where wildfires occur can be terrifying on many levels. The big burns can take out entire households and cause people to die, sometimes even when fighting the fires. Several areas surrounding Colorado Springs are currently dealing with such a blaze, and the early reports make it sound like an extremely serious problem. The Black Forest Fire has turned at least 23 miles of solidly wooded land into char. Not only have plenty of homes been destroyed, but local law enforcement announced on Thursday that two lives have been taken by the large wildfire, as well.
Officials have been ordering mandatory evacuations in the hopes that lives would not be taken. While the names of the two individuals killed have not yet been identified, authorities are saying the two lived in a wooded area and were evacuating their home when the flames caught up with them.
While evacuations may save lives, they don’t save homes. According to Reuters over 360 houses have been devoured by the fires. Even more unfortunately, around 38,000 people have been displaced thanks to the unforgiving fires. Today, another 1,000 homes were considered high-risk and families were asked to evacuate.
Many people have dealt with house fires, including celebrities from Sharon Osbourne to Ashley Greene. However, the devastation related to that loss is nothing when compared to erratic wildfires and 30mph winds behind the blazes. With a little luck and a lot of help from local firefighters, hopefully the Black Forest Fire will burn out before any more lives and homes are taken.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock/ Butterfly Hunter
