Officials at the Air Force Academy say they’re going ahead with plans to welcome about a thousand new cadets in the class of 2016 scheduled to report today; despite the Waldo Canyon Fire that’s been threatening the area.
The blaze has blackened about ten acres of land and forced the evacuations of two housing complexes on the Air Force Academy’s sprawling grounds.
Most regular operations like flying and field training are on hold. But Lt. General Mike Gould says the scheduled processing of new cadets is proceeding.
"We’ve looked at pros and cons of doing that as planned or perhaps delaying but we’ve made the decision that it is safe and it’s the smart thing to do to receive the class of 2016," Gould says.
Air Force officials have moved the processing to a safer location in a field house that’s farther away from the fire. Alternative housing accommodations are also being arranged for some new cadets whose host families have been evacuated by the Waldo Canyon Fire.
