Dropcam user, Norman Black, has caught everything from teenagers in the midst of a ding-dong-ditch prank, to solar sightings at the local “Star Light-Star Bright Observatory”. What Norman was not expecting to capture however, was peace of mind that his family’s home was safe from the Waldo Canyon Fire.

A 3-hour evacuation notice quickly turned into an emergency evacuation when local law enforcement realized how fast the fire was spreading. Thankfully, Norman’s family was able to safely evacuate the area. The fire caused a power outage that led the family to believe that their neighborhood and home wouldn’t last much longer.

Even though his Dropcam went offline shortly after the family evacuated their home on Tuesday evening, something sparked Norman to check again early Wednesday morning.

“I decided to go ahead and try the Dropcam App on my iPhone and when it came up I just yelled–

oh my god, it’s still there!”

Local photographer, Jonathon Kraft, took this image during the fire storm. The Black’s home can be seen circled on the right.

Norman quickly snapped this photo on his iPhone right before the emergency evacuation. 

Screenshots from the Black’s front entrance Dropcam. You can see the lighting conditions change to a yellow/orange glow as the fire gets closer to their street.

*Special thank you to Norman for taking the time to speak with us after such a traumatic event! We are very glad that you, your family, and your home are safe.*