The perfect storm Amanda and I were called to the EOC for another urgent briefing. The Deputy Fire Chief looked very somber as he informed the Air Base Wing Commander (ABW) that the fire had increased significantly in size and was expected to get worse. The conditions were ripe and the fire was being fueled by changing winds of 65 miles per hour—it was the “perfect fire storm.” The fire had doubled in size from the day before and was quickly bearing down on the Academy. At 5:25 p.m., the Fire Chief reported the fire had moved past Queen’s Canyon by jumping two containment lines and was racing down into the Mountain Shadows Subdivision. At the same time, the fire was making its way to Peregrine, an upscale community high on the mountain bordering the Academy. At 6:08 p.m., Fort Carson reported it was set up to house all residents, and at 6:16 p.m., the ABW Commander issued a pre-evacuation order for the Pine Valley housing area. Every leader was working diligently on his or her respective slice of responsibility, including Amanda, who was rattling off all the families with special needs, language barriers, and even the requirement to follow up with a cadet who was caring for a resident’s cat while he was away. Over the next 14 minutes, thick black smoke bore down on the Academy so quickly that the ABW Commander issued an immediate evacuation order to the families in Pine Valley. Amanda and I were allowed to leave the EOC to retrieve her vehicle so we made a quick exit. We witnessed Security Forces personnel going door to door to ensure everyone departed, and there was a surprisingly calm demeanor on the part of the Security Forces and the residents as they gathered their most precious possessions and left their homes. The staff had worked in concert to remove all files, computers, and all other equipment to ensure they had the ability to set up a mobile office.
Service members set up cots in the Evacuation Center
An assembly line forms to carry cots and other supplies November | December 2012 13