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    Posted June 20, 2012 by
    Swinden
    Location
    Evergreen, Colorado
    Assignment
    Assignment
    This iReport is part of an assignment:
    Colorado and Utah wildfires

    Swinden and 14 other iReporters contributed to Open Story: Western wildfires
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    Sunrise with the High Park Fire smoke

    By Swinden  |  Posted June 20, 2012  |  Evergreen, Colorado
     

    CNN PRODUCER NOTE     Swinden, a resident of Evergreen, Colorado, and volunteer firefighter with Evergreen Fire Rescue, says a recent cold front caused drift smoke to travel more than 70 miles south of the High Park fire. He photographed this smoky June 20 sunrise from the foothills of Colorado's Front Range. "It has been so dry here along the Front Range west of Denver," he says. "We have been fighting wildland fires since late March."
    - stein0726, CNN iReport producer

    EVERGREEN, Colorado – The rising sun passes behind drift smoke from the 59,845 acres High Park Fire to the north making for a very orange sunrise. A cold front brought north winds overnight and moved the smoke over the Denver Metro area. Much cooler temperatures today with an increase in humidities and lower winds will aid the over 1,900 firefighters battling this destructive wildfire located in the Front Range Foothills and Mountains just west of Fort Collins or 70 miles northwest of Denver.

     

    The High Park Fire was discovered on June 9th from a lightning strike several days before and exploded in size in the first 24 hours making this the third largest wildland fire in Colorado’s history, but most destructive with 189 homes destroyed and one fatality. With only 55% containment, the High Park Fire may burn until it snows in the fall.

     

    Photos by Matt Swinden

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