News & Stories

Waldo Canyon Fire Update

June 28, 2012

June 28, 2012 11:00 a.m. MST

Light rain, low winds, and the tireless efforts of nearly 1,000 firefighters have helped inhibit the spread of the fire throughout the night. But as some of the smoke cleared, the fire’s devastation was revealed, as approximately 300 homes in northwest Colorado Springs were destroyed.

The C&MA National Office is not under any threat at this time, as the fire has not advanced any further east. Front Range Alliance Church remains in the evacuation zone. Recent reports indicate that all the homes surrounding the church have been completely leveled, but the church remains standing.

At this point, no one has been able to enter the church to assess any possible damage from smoke or sprinklers. According to Todd Cothran, assistant pastor, 20 of the church’s families have been displaced. Official word has not yet been released regarding whether any of these families have lost their homes to the fire.

None of the four other Alliance churches in the Colorado Springs area have been affected, though hundreds of families from all five churches have offered to share their homes with the more than 30,000 people who have been evacuated. In addition, Compassion and Mercy Associates (CAMA), the relief and development arm of The Alliance, is partnering with these five churches to provide funds to help those who have been displaced.

President Obama will be visiting Colorado Springs tomorrow to assess the fire’s devastation and possibly to sign a bill freeing up more federal funding to battle the blaze.

Please continue to pray for:

1. Front Range Alliance families who have been displaced
2. Alliance churches as they reach out to others who have been impacted
3. Firefighters who continue to work long shifts in grueling conditions
4. God to hold back the wind and send the rain