[APML] OT: Colorado on Fire Again, RMSS Evacuated

["Jon Kolb" <jkolb@datawest.net>]

You may recall that the big Canon City fire that destroyed 80 homes
about a week ago was started by an overturned charcoal grill used in
violation of a ban on such devices.  Well, another idiot has decided
that fire bans don't apply to him and started a new fire in bone-dry
central Colorado with an illegal campfire.  

This fire forced the evacuation of the Rocky Mountain Star Stare
(www.rmss.org) last night.  This was my first ever star party, although
I had left that morning after being up there the two previous nights.
Here's a shot taken by a Colorado Springs Astronomical Society member on
her way out of the RMSS site:
http://home.earthlink.net/~chikadee/rmss2002fire06.jpg

And here's one from another member showing that the fire is dangerously
close to homes in the Lake George area:
http://www.pcisys.net/~wheeland/newstuff.htm

Two lessons here:
1) Obey fire bans, they are in place for a reason
2) Apparently it is bad luck to invite me to your star party 

Sincerely,
Jon Kolb
Adventures in Astrophotography
http://home.datawest.net/jkolb/
jkolb@datawest.net



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