COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- It has only been three weeks since the Waldo Canyon Fire roared into Colorado Springs, and already city officials are evaluating what went right, and what they could have done differently.
At the fire's peak, 32,000 people were evacuated, 27,000 of which were asked to leave their homes all in the same day.
Bret Waters is the Division Manager for the Office of Emergency Management in Colorado Springs.
He said the fire could have been a lot worse if it were not for the city's planning and preparation.
"During that day (June 26) the fire was unprecedented as far as how fast it grew with the dry conditions and 60 mph winds," Waters said.
He said during the entire duration of the Waldo Canyon Fire, the command post was in constant contact with crews in the thick of the smoke and flames.
"We were notified by the fire department of what was occurring and then ordered the mandatory evacuations as soon as we had that information," Waters said.
What happened next was a test of the city's evacuation plan, as 27,000 people loaded up and left their homes and businesses in a short amount of time.
"The residents did exceptionally well in the City of Colorado Springs as far as how they handled themselves, and how they evacuated," Waters said. "They were prepared, and so was the Colorado Springs Police Department in working that process."
Waters said the process was not thought up at a moment's notice, but was the result of years of planning, preparation and drills.
"It took some time, but it could have been a lot worse in my opinion," Waters said. "When you think about the gravity of evacuating essentially a small city in one day."
As he watched the fire tear through the Mountain Shadows area, Waters said he feared for those who did not get out.
"I think that as we evacuated that amount of people, life safety was our first concern," he said.
From here, Waters and his team will take an after-action look at the event, and try to determine how the city can improve.
"We all need to think about how we can do better," he said.
Waters said his office is now working with residents to understand, and prepare for flash flooding in and around the Waldo Canyon burn scar.
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