what started the waldo canyon fire in colorado
Waldo Canyon Fire The Waldo Canyon fire started as a brush fire about noon on June 23, 2012 in a valley of Rampart Range in the Pike National Forest, about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Colorado Springs and north of U.S. Highway 24. The fire, first spotted and caught on video by cyclists on the range, spread quickly and reached one of the ridges.[10][11]:5 Air support was requested at 12:24 p.m. by the Colorado Springs Fire Department.[12] Helicopters began dropping water on the fire two days after the fire began.[10][11]:5 Erratic winds caused the fire to spread rapidly in the northwest and south directions. By 3 p.m., the fire grew to 600 acres spreading towards the towns of Chipita Park, Green Mountain Falls, and Cascade, Colorado.[13] It also spread towards the western and northwestern areas of the Colorado Springs area and Manitou Springs. Residents began to evacuate as the fire intensified.[13][14] Planes dropped retardant slurry on what they believed was the Pyramid Mountain Fire, which was a less than 20 acre fire in the same area the night before. As the fire intensified, flames seemed to reach 150 feet above the treetops.[15]
Wind Cave National Park Wind Cave National Park is an American national park located 10 miles (16 km) north of the town of Hot Springs in Western South Dakota. Established in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, it was the seventh U.S. National Park and the first cave to be designated a national park anywhere in the world. The cave is notable for its displays of the calcite formation known as boxwork. Approximately 95 percent of the world's discovered boxwork formations are found in Wind Cave. Wind Cave is also known for its frostwork. The cave is also considered a three-dimensional maze cave, recognized as the densest (greatest passage volume per cubic mile) cave system in the world. The cave is currently the sixth-longest in the world with 140.47 miles (226.06 km) of explored cave passageways.[3] Above ground, the park includes the largest remaining natural mixed-grass prairie in the United States.