More firefighter love

I ordinarily don't post more than one photo at a time, but since I've personally been documenting the Waldo Canyon fire so extensively it makes more sense to post multiple pictures rather than just one at a time, day after day. The fire is still burning but is almost 100% contained now. (Note:  "contained" does not mean extinguished; "100% contained" means they have successfully put a perimeter all the way around the burn, so it cannot grow any further.)  Here are a few images I captured in the last several days. The one above was taken at an impromptu firefighter appreciation rally, several of which have materialized in places where the fire crews are likely to drive by. This particular rally has been taking place daily on the corner of Fontmore and 31st, in the heart of a neighborhood called Pleasant Valley, which had been evacuated and narrowly escaped burning. The residents of Pleasant Valley are understandably quite grateful! On the evening I took this picture, scores upon scores of appreciative citizens endured heavy rain for hours (rain, yes RAIN, hooray!) to hold up signs and cheer like mad whenever a bus, truck or van bearing exhausted, sooty firefighters drove past on the way to their camp. Heck, there was even a junior high school marching band! I got there a little late for the band, and the crowd had thinned somewhat by then too since it was dark out, but I was able to get a few images that really captured the spirit of appreciation that these people are showing. It was extremely moving to witness.

If you would like to donate to the victims of the Waldo Canyon fire, here is a good way to do it:  http://www.indiegogo.com/WaldoCanyonWildfire 

More pictures below, with captions.

This neighborhood in Mountain Shadows was devastated.  You can see that many houses burned down.  But you can also see that many were saved.  This is because, when the fire breached the ridge on the west edge of our city, every single firefighter in Colorado Springs was deployed to battle the inferno.  Two of my friends lost their homes, and another  friend had such a close call that her patio furniture was scorched. In total 346 homes were lost, but many, many more were not, thanks to the efforts of the Colorado Springs Fire Department.

The aptly named "hot shot" firefighters who've been battling the Waldo Canyon fire for weeks are camped out at Holmes Middle School. These Springs residents have gathered every evening in front of the school to express their gratitude to the firefighters as they come in for the night.  Witnessing this brought tears to my eyes.

A fire crew drives by as grateful residents cheer.

The fire crews are camped at Holmes Middle School, right on the soccer field.  I guess their training is so ingrained, even when they're off duty they walk in single file.

On the corner of Fontmore and 31st there has been a huge appreciation rally for the firefighters every evening.  These people are cheering for a passing van of tired hot shots.

An emotional resident rushes to hug a firefighter.

A grateful man shaking the hand of a hot shot firefighter.

This last photo wasn't taken by me; it was posted on Facebook yesterday by one of my friends. Apparently the firefighters are getting the message that we love them! Thank you, firefighters!!!