Almost a year to the day, since my last blog "What's Next for Wildlife Living with the Dendroctonus ponderosae", I have been evacuated from my job site, Lory State Park, due to the ongoing High Park fire that began Saturday June 9 early in the morning. Lightening struck dry, dry fuel riddled with the efforts of the mountain pine beetles.
We are in the 7th day and over 52,000 acres have been burned. Hundreds of residents from the Poudre Canyon area, Bellvue, Glacier View and more are staying/living elsewhere. Many know that their homes have been destroyed, others are waiting to learn. Pets are being cared for by well-meaning Fort Collins people and agencies; larger mammals are at the Event Center (between Loveland and Fort Collins) and quite honestly, from what I saw 2 days ago, looking pretty daggone good - lots of attention from a lot of volunteers. I wanted to stay.
The High Park fire is only 15% contained. The landscape along the foothills of the Front Range of northern Colorado has changed. I still wonder: where have the black bear gone, the Abert's squirrils, the Mountain lions, the butterflys, the Mule deer, and so much more?
It is a difficult time.
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