News
24
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
www.HighTimberTimes.com
Sit N Bull Saloon to hold benefit for fire victims Blaze gutted home on Myers Gulch Road By Vicky Gits Staff Writer
The Sit N Bull Saloon on Parmalee Gulch Road will hold a benefit at noon Saturday for restaurant cook Brad Allison, the man who was living in the house gutted by fire on April 22. The benefit will include live music by a local band, Murphy’s Crossing, from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. and a live auction and auctioneer, said Paul George of Wheat Ridge, owner of the bar. Part of the day’s proceeds also will go to the rescue fund, George said. George said Allison was renting the house, had no renter’s insurance and lost virtually everything. Allison reportedly was at home at 3951 Myers Gulch Road when the fire erupted about 10:31 a.m. Friday. Fueled by strong winds at the time, the two-story wood structure was rapidly engulfed by flames. Evergreen Fire/Rescue and Indian Hills Fire responded to the scene about a quarter-mile south of Kittredge. Myers Gulch Road was closed at Highway 74 in Kittredge until about 4:30 p.m., while firefighters filled tanker trucks at a hydrant near the creek and set up a water shuttle. The cause of the fire is under investigation, said Evergreen Fire Chief Garry DeJong. Evidence has been turned over to the Jeffco Sheriff’s Office. Fire crews cut down some trees to keep the fire from spreading around the house. “The winds were strong and gusty and changing directions constantly, which made tactics very challenging. Obstacles included a narrow driveway, the winds, a steep slope for poor footing,” DeJong said. The occupants were home when the fire started, DeJong said. Allison and his family were staying at the Days Inn in Wheat Ridge, George said. Allison has been a cook at the Sit N Bull for about five years.
A home at 3951 Myers Gulch Road, a quartermile south of Kittredge, was destroyed by fire on Friday. The fire erupted about 10:30 a.m. Fueled by strong winds, flames rapidly engulfed the two-story wood structure. Evergreen Fire/Rescue and the Indian Hills Fire Department responded and managed to keep the house fire from turning into a wildfire. AT LEFT: Flames consume the second floor of the home.
Photos by Matthew Jonas | The Times
Contact Vicky Gits at vicky@evergreenco.com or 303-3501042.
conifer fire
Jefferson County sheriff’s investigators are asking for the public’s help to find those responsible for starting the Meyer Ranch fire. The fire appears to be one of several started last Thursday along U.S. 285 in the area of Parmalee Gulch, Meyer Ranch and Richmond Hill. Sheriff’s investigators are urging citizens to contact the tip line at 303-271-5612 to provide information regarding unusual activity or suspicious people in the area between 2 and 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 21. Several fires of suspicious origin have been identified in the past month. The Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to be aware of suspicious people and vehicles, and citizens are urged to call 911 if they see suspicious activity.
From Page 1 lose their homes if the fire spread,” he said. Nancy Schifo lives just east of the burn area, and as the windwhipped flames began to move up the slope toward her house, a Jefferson County deputy knocked on her door and told her she had to leave. Now. “I didn’t have time to think,” she said. “I grabbed my animals and my checkbook. That’s all I had time for.” An evacuation center was set up at Conifer High School for residents, but Schifo parked her car at the Meyer Ranch Open Space parking lot and watched and waited with her dog and two cats. “I don’t really know where to go, so I’ll just wait and see what happens,” she said. After returning home, Schifo has a newfound respect for fire danger. Next time, she’ll be ready with items she needs for both her and her animals. “There was stuff I left behind that I wish I hadn’t,” she said. “Now I keep things in a certain spot, and I have a bag packed. I’ve been up here a long time. The only thing I would do differently would be to take things that can help with my survival.”
A close-up view
Motorists on U.S. 285 wit-
Photo by Matthew Jonas | The Times
A charred stump sits near an Elk Creek brush truck on April 22 at Meyer Ranch in Conifer. nessed the power of a wildfire close up as the flames brushed up against the highway. Spectators parked along the highway and at local businesses and watched a helicopter make repeated drops on steep slopes. A single-engine slurry bomber dumped flame retardant on the trees at a nearby home. Jody Wagner, Elk Creek Fire District spokeswoman, said despite the much-needed moisture that came over the weekend, residents should still be concerned
about fire danger. “The tall grasses and surface fuels are still dry even with the recent moisture,” Wagner said. “In no time at all the risk of wildfire will be real high again.” Wagner said the fire took two days and the work of several agencies to control. She said 60 firefighters from several organizations helped. “Elk Creek historically has done so well with structure protection and safety, but certainly the progress we made with the
Meyer Ranch fire would not have happened without the support of neighboring agencies,” Wagner said. Elk Creek received aid from the Platte Canyon, Inter-Canyon, North Fork, Indian Hills and Fairmount fire departments, plus the Jeffco Incident Management Team, Sheriff’s Office and Animal Control. Also supplying aid were the Intermountain Humane Society, Elk Creek Support Team, Inter-Canyon “Vees” Volunteer
Auxiliary, a Jeffco sheriff’s type 2 helicopter, the San Carlos Hand Crew and the Juniper Valley Hand Crew. Wagner said the department is braced for a tough fire season and needs help in the form of volunteers. “I encourage people to join the Elk Creek Support Team or the Elk Creek Explorers,” Wagner said. “For those who can’t participate as a volunteer firefighter, we still need many volunteers to support the organization in other ways.” Contact Barbara Ford at barbara@evergreenco.com or 303350-1043. Check www.High TimberTimes.com for updates.