March 27: A trail of slurry is deposited by a bomber during a run over a smoldering ridge in the Lower North Fork Wildfire burning in the foothills community of Conifer, Colo. (AP)
CONIFER, Colo. – A man who was found dead in his burned home was among the confused and panicked residents who called Colorado authorities as a wildfire raged near them.
Police tapes obtained by KMGH-TV show that Sam Lucas expressed surprise after responders told him the fire was a controlled burn, despite winds that reached 80 mph. Lucas and his wife were found dead at their home last week.
Another resident urged authorities to rescue a woman who apparently died in the fire. A friend of Ann Appel was concerned for her safety because she was being treated for cancer.
The Colorado State Forest Service has accepted responsibility for the fire, which charred 6 square miles in a mostly rural, mountainous area southwest of Denver.
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