Waldo Canyon 98 Percent Contained, Investigation Into Cause Continues
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4)- The Waldo Canyon Fire was 98 percent contained Friday evening but what sparked Colorado's most destructive fire in the state's history remained under investigation.
Evacuees from 76 homes were allowed home Friday at 6 p.m.
Investigators pinpointed the origin of the fire on Thursday as in the area of the Waldo Canyon Trail.
"I just got a call from Manitou Springs they have eyes on it. They don't have an exact location but its a single white plume of smoke. Might possibly be a campfire. They'll continue updating me," according to communications on public service radio in what may have been the first sighting of the fire the evening of June 22.
The blaze grew worse and that was documented in the communication the next day around noon, "They're saying there's a smoke plume coming up from Waldo Canyon."
The cause is little consolation to those who lost nearly everything in the fire.
When asked if she would rebuild, Lynn Mosier, who lost her home in the fire, replied, "I'm not sure. My daughter is a little bit traumatized by it. She saw the fire coming down and she said she didn't want to come back. So I think we're really going to base it on how the kids feel."
The increase in containment is good news for those working to make sure the area is safe for people who live in Colorado Springs.
"You know we are optimistic that we'll have them contained and there will be no new starts but we're ready to deal with any new starts that might be associated with lightning or any other issues that may cause new fires," said Colorado Division of Emergency Management spokeswoman Micki Trost.
