You know how it is when you know someone who lives in an area where there is destruction. There is that little gasp, and you hope they are okay.
This past year at the SXSW music festival in Austin, I was lucky to attend a showcase of Fort Collins, Colorado music called Spokes BUZZ.
The musicians were out speaking to the guests, they gave me a couple of C-D's and I shot video of the performances. (I'm actually working on editing some of their performances which I'll post later.) One of the promoters, Bob Carnahan, told me about the Mishawaka, a venue where many of the featured artists perform. His description stuck in my mind, saying something to the effect of it being the prettiest place to see live music. Rolling hills with sheep, a river, even an occasional BEAR!
I contacted Bob as soon as I read that wildfires tore across more than 56-thousand acres west of Fort Collins, destroying at least 181 structures.
He wrote me back saying his beloved Mishawaka amphitheater on the banks of the Poudre River has become a staging area for firefighters.
The owner of the Mishawaka is the president and founder of SpokesBUZZ. At this point, he says the owner hasn't been able to "get back up the canyon to see anything," but has been getting updates from firefighters.
Bob went on to say it is a nasty wildfire and "although it is still several miles from the city proper, the smoke occasionally settles across the community as the wind shifts."
What he says next reminds me of the wildfire that ravaged much of Bastrop, just outside Austin, almost one year ago.
He says everyone knows someone that has been impacted in some way and that there are "hundreds of families staying in hotels and with friends until they get an all clear for their area. I have a friend who believes he lost his cabin early Sunday morning after the fire chased him out."
