It's been a brutal summer throughout much of the country, but Colorado has been ground zero for some of the worst that Mother Nature has dished out, scorching tens of thousands of acres and burning hundreds of homes.

One of the most aggressive fires - the Waldo Canyon Fire near Colorado Springs - hit close to home for Don Jewell, who writes a monthly newsletter published by GPS World.  In his harrowing account, Don describes how he and others relied on GPS devices to guide them to safety - to say nothing of the emergency responders who used satellite navigation to guide them to the front lines.

Of course, we're grateful when our devices  help save lives and loss of property.  But the article also includes some sage advice about the importance of thoroughly understanding the capabilities (and limitations) of any GPS unit.  And Don also reminds us that it's never a bad idea to refresh those old-school analog paper map skills (remember those?).