Here's how to format your tweets so we can map the information. We use different tags to make sense of the information you provide. Our program is very simple: it only understands things that come directly after a particular tag.

1) We need to know that you are tweeting about the Boulder fire. So include one of the following tags: #boulderfire, #boulder, #4MileFire

2) Are you tweeting about a particular issue? Add one of these tags: #fire, #evac, #shelter, #closed, #open, #offer, #need, #road, #facility, #structure

Directly after that tag, write what is evacuated, needed, etc.

3) If you want, include other useful tags and information

#loc location, #src source of the information, #contact whom to contact, #status status of person or situation

Write the info that that tag is referring to immediately after that tag.

You can also include photos embedded in any format (twitpic, tweetphoto, twitvid, yfrog, etc.)

4) Include Geo-location information (if you can). The more precise the better

There are three methods for doing this.

A) Just give a basic text address like this: #loc 1777 Broadway Boulder, CO 80302

B) Within the tweets, add latitude, longotude in this format: 24.65, -104.95. Click here to find lat, long for a location.

C) If you are reporting from the ground, enable geo-tagging through Twitter and through your mobile client to automatically geo-tag your tweets. This is ideal for #oil, #smell, and #wildlife reports

To turn on geo-tagging for #oilreport reporting, go to your Twitter Profile, hit settings, and select the checkbox next to Tweet Location - Add a location to your tweets. You also need to turn on geo-tagging within your mobile phone Twitter client. For instance, if you're using Tweetdeck, go to Settings. Again go to General->Settings. Scroll down to the bottom and switch the GeoTagging Enabled slider to On.

Some examples of formatted tweets that we can use:

#boulderfire #loc VCA Pets Clinic 5290 Manhattan Circle #shelter cats & dogs #con 303-499-5335 #src http://bit.ly/bxzzav

#src scanner: #info reverse 911 problems mean folks not getting calls. #evac mandatory #loc Sugarloaf #Boulderfire

#src scanner #Fire report #loc 4 miles above James Canyon / Lefthand Canyon Split #BoulderFire

These allow us to put the values into our speadsheet into the right columns corresponding to the hastags, and then we can map them.

Also see our spreadsheet with more information for each record.

Tweak the Tweet is meant to be a dynamic format, allowing it to change as this event continues to unfold. If you have ideas on how to improve the format, please contact @epiccolorado