Wisconsin native living in Colorado describes Waldo Canyon fire
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Lacey Crisp reports Video by wtmj.com
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MILWAUKEE- More than 30,000 people have already been evacuated in Colorado. And the impact is being felt by people in Wisconsin.
The Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado Springs has turned deadly.
Firefighters say they found one person dead, and another is missing.
A Wisconsin native now living in Colorado Springs is safe, and says so far, his home has been spared.
"There were 100 foot high flames coming through the canyons and towards the houses," described Wisconsin native Steve Rohrer.
He was out of town when the fire sparked, and didn't know what to expect when he got home.
"We just could picture a fire barrel coming down," said Rohrer. "We have five animals, and that's the only thing we could think of was getting them out and how are we going to do that."
Already, the Waldo Canyon fire has scorched almost 17,000 acres
"We could see the sky was completely black," said Rohrer. "It looked like the mountain was on fire, and we were thinking there's no way we're getting into the house."
More than 300 homes have been destroyed.
But Rohrer's is still standing.
He was allowed five minutes to go inside his home, grab what he could, and leave.
"You have a plan before you go in there, I was collecting the animals, Trey was trying to gather some important papers and some clothes. I grabbed the computers," said Rohrer.
Rohrer is staying with friends, and may be allowed back in his neighborhood Saturday.
The US Forest Service says it could be mid-July before the fire is fully under control.
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