what started the waldo canyon fire in colorado
Waldo Canyon Fire The Waldo Canyon fire started as a brush fire about noon on June 23, 2012 in a valley of Rampart Range in the Pike National Forest, about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Colorado Springs and north of U.S. Highway 24. The fire, first spotted and caught on video by cyclists on the range, spread quickly and reached one of the ridges.[10][11]:5 Air support was requested at 12:24 p.m. by the Colorado Springs Fire Department.[12] Helicopters began dropping water on the fire two days after the fire began.[10][11]:5 Erratic winds caused the fire to spread rapidly in the northwest and south directions. By 3 p.m., the fire grew to 600 acres spreading towards the towns of Chipita Park, Green Mountain Falls, and Cascade, Colorado.[13] It also spread towards the western and northwestern areas of the Colorado Springs area and Manitou Springs. Residents began to evacuate as the fire intensified.[13][14] Planes dropped retardant slurry on what they believed was the Pyramid Mountain Fire, which was a less than 20 acre fire in the same area the night before. As the fire intensified, flames seemed to reach 150 feet above the treetops.[15]