06/28/2012
ACADEMY SMOKE SCREEN
A helicopter drops water on the wildfire burning in Waldo Canyon on the U.S. Air Force Academy outside of Colorado Springs, Colo., June 27, 2012. The fires, which have burned more than 15,000 acres, began spreading to the southwestern corner of the academy, causing base officials to evacuate residents. Officials estimated that the fire had spread to about 10 acres of land belonging to the Academy. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jeremy Lock
06/27/2012
FIGHTING FIRES
A C-130 aircraft equipped with a modular firefighting system drops retardant on a section of the Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs, Colo., June 26, 2012. Four of these aircraft, assigned to the Air Force's 302nd and 153rd airlift wings, are helping civil authorities combat the fire. The 302nd Airlift Wing is based on Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., and the 153rd Airlift Wing is part of the Wyoming Air National Guard. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Thomas Doscher
Scooping up water
A helicopter hoists water from the Air Force Academy water treatment plant to dump on the Waldo Canyon fire June 28, 2012. The Waldo Canyon fire has destroyed over 18,000 acres in the Colorado Springs, Colo., area. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Boitz/Released)