|
<br />1---
<br />
<br />Voice of the Rocky Mountain Empire
<br />~-
<br />
<br />-
<br />
<br />~inaJ EdWon
<br />* * * * 11( 5Q1:t$ \.00 in se\ec\eo 3leas
<br />
<br />Flash flooding kills 2
<br />
<br />~ Deluge
<br />was 'like
<br />an ocean'
<br />
<br />e
<br />e By Patricia Callahan
<br />~VeJ"Pl)$\S\affWTllef
<br />BUFFALO CREEK - Every
<br />20 feel Qr so, t.hey would st\lmble
<br />across some sodden medical sun-
<br />plies, A lime-green backboard. A
<br />crushed Intravenous drip bag, A
<br />mangled Ace bandage.
<br />Belore daybreak yesterday,.J)e..
<br />fore anyone knew the true dam-
<br />age of the flood that transfonned
<br />Bl.dta,\tlo C\:~~lr.. ~\~ '6 'M'6\\ tl\ ~Q'
<br />ter, volunteer firefighter Scott
<br />Melvin and others stood in disbe-
<br />lid on' the banks of the rushing
<br />creek, transClxed by the relentless
<br />power of nature that has cursed
<br />t~e sleepy area for two months.
<br />By the 'Z'Z'i';;: &1".. vi ili:lshligili.s,
<br />emergency workers could see that
<br />the flood reduced the area's blue-
<br />sided firehouse to three crum-
<br />bling walls with a battered ambu-
<br />lance Inslde. Mired In ash and
<br />mud, it looked like a toy car In a
<br />sandbox. In May, the North Fork
<br />Fire Protection District firehouse
<br />served as a nerve center in the
<br />battle to lell the lire that scorch.
<br />ed 12,000 acres of the P\J.;.e Na-
<br />tional Forest over to days.
<br />"That ambulance was less than
<br />a year old," Melvin said, de.
<br />feated, as his feet sank IttlQ lhe
<br />muck on the banks above the tall.
<br />er. building. "It was our newest
<br />vehlc1e."
<br />Those who Ilved near the flre.
<br />house prepared lor l.he worst duro
<br />Ing thl! forest !ire, and firefight.
<br />en; were able to contain the blaze
<br />before it could claim Melvin's or
<br />his neighbors' houses. Then, olII-
<br />cials warned that the eroded Cor-
<br />est. devastated by lhe !Ire, would
<br />not be able to slow heavy rains
<br />Please see CREEl< on SA
<br />
<br />
<br />Thep.niler pos.t I :a.!'e'-lil~'ii<"
<br />The North 'F.ark firehouse sits 'I" ruins yesterd9Y afteT,\,Buffalo;
<br />Creek swelled and flooded, washing the bUlldlng's.cfront{W~,lt
<br />eway and ruln!ng an ambulance. ' .' .),'~V~:.R(
<br />"'1 ,(,,~ ,,~!,
<br />
<br />
<br />Buffalo Creek fi~;
<br />., ,
<br />
<br />set a deadly tr~p!"'<
<br />
<br />
<br />lowed him up.~ ';";: .. ,,',~;:th:'~~;', ::,;.. --\,;,
<br />The second hOOd vidt'm; Alex Sa\;
<br />la'zar, 73, of Lakewood, was discov;~'
<br />ered dead along the- nearJjy North
<br />Fork of the South Platte River,
<br />which Is led by Bullalo Creek. He
<br />had b<<ln remodeling a home In an
<br />area about 5 miles Irom the town of
<br />Buffalo Creek and living in a trail.
<br />er, which was caught' in i.he rising
<br />c.urrent.
<br />The awesome power of water"w3s
<br />evident 10 tiny Bullato Creer.; wbich.
<br />narrowly escaped the wildfire but
<br />suffered badly from Friday's storm.
<br />The damage was a direct result of
<br />the tire, which -ravaged the Pike
<br />National, Forest,' destroying, trees
<br />and groundcover on the hillsides
<br />overlooking the creek that runs
<br />"': ,t
<br />
<br />By Alan Katz
<br />and Christopher Lopez
<br />Denver PostSl8ffWrtters
<br />
<br />BUFFALO CREEK - First
<br />came the Ure in May, lollowed Fri.
<br />day night by floodwaters cascading
<br />down the blackened hills. And yes.
<br />terday, It came time for resident3 of
<br />beleaguered Buffalo Creek to dig
<br />out from a deluge that left two p..."O-
<br />pIe dead and wreckage everywhere.
<br />. Two men drowned in the storm
<br />that slammed through ri.lt:~l west-
<br />ern Jeflerson County 35 mIles
<br />southwest of .DeMer, where 12,1)1)1)
<br />, acres had- been stripped ol vegeta-
<br />" . ,~~;..9,q~:~y ~;.bl.a~_~,. ':
<br />The Denver Post! DIV Buri.h . SCarcherS found the body of John
<br />One side of J~ffer.son CQUnly, 126 was, demor!~~6~, by frldaY~-.r '~htng Tlnker, 4.3, of Pine, who rl,krl, inside
<br />water. ResIdents who.:~~re_cau.g~__On th~..,ytr.~r.g,..~ld".of tHe .lream his Ford truck when a wall of water
<br />were forced Into shefters and friends' hOI11,~~~~::~;,~;V: rushing down BuUalo Creek swal-
<br />,..j,." .'
<br />
<br />Plense s.ce FL:?~D.~;'?r 4A,
<br />
|