West Fork Fire in Colorado

[MistyMorning]

http://vimeo.com/69120008


I have watched this four times now and it still blows me away.......

That sky crane looks like a humongous bug.

 

[greybeard]

Great video, tho I could only watch about 1/4th of it. (band width usage limits here)

Nitpickin', but that's not really a skycrane. Skycrane is the Sikorsky and military designation for the S-64. The one pictured in the vid is an Erickson Aircrane. Erickson bought the rights to the S-64's civilian version and renamed it Aircrane. A pretty versatile airframe, with any number of container types that can be fitted to them. It can lift 10 tons.

 

[Craig Miller]

Great video. The size is amazing. The shot showing the guy with the wall of smoke really shows how big it is

 

[NMVaquero]

I can see the smoke from this fire. We are 2 hours away.

There is another fire about 2 hours the opposite direction that is a little smaller that we can also see the smoke from.

The biggest fire is another 3 hours south of that.

 

[MistyMorning]

Great video, tho I could only watch about 1/4th of it. (band width usage limits here)

Nitpickin', but that's not really a skycrane. Skycrane is the Sikorsky and military designation for the S-64. The one pictured in the vid is an Erickson Aircrane. Erickson bought the rights to the S-64's civilian version and renamed it Aircrane. A pretty versatile airframe, with any number of container types that can be fitted to them. It can lift 10 tons.

At some time try to get the rest of it downloaded, the last shot of the heli heading into the head of the fire only to pan to the second head........

Your right about the sikorsky, but vernacular in the fire world in my area still refers to them as a sky crane.

Great video. The size is amazing. The shot showing the guy with the wall of smoke really shows how big it is

He was nuts standing down slope from it, BUT it was a great shot!

I can see the smoke from this fire. We are 2 hours away.

There is another fire about 2 hours the opposite direction that is a little smaller that we can also see the smoke from.

The biggest fire is another 3 hours south of that.

The Silver must be south of you, hope you are hanging in there, must be rough.

 

[NMVaquero]

Misty, I can't complain. We aren't in the fire.

 

[3waycross]

We are over an hour NE of the fire at South Fork. I am headed to the San Louis Valley tomorrow to do some fishin. Glad i don't need to get near that monster.

 

[ousoonerfan22]

3way,
Do you know if that fire has burned near Wagon Wheel Gap or Creede? I have friends with cabins in both of those areas.

 

[3waycross]

3way,
Do you know if that fire has burned near Wagon Wheel Gap or Creede? I have friends with cabins in both of those areas.

I know it was headed for Creede at one point but i think they are ok

 

[NMVaquero]

Wind shifted. Smoke has settled in the valley here.
Reduced visibility, less than a mile compared to our normal 10+

Going to be tough on those with breathing problems.

 

[Craig Miller]

The closest i ever been was the fires around longview tx 2 years ago. There were some big fire but they were grass fires compared to what yall are getting. What amazed/shocked me the most was the speed they travel. It could cover a hundred yards in 30 seconds. Yall stay safe out there

 

[MistyMorning]

This morning they have the West Fork Complex at about 95,000 acres and the Silver at over 100,000 acres.