WILDFIRE
Colorado’s Worst Wildfire Season in History – As Told by Our Members Abbey Pontius – Larimer County
tain and there were the untamed flames kissing the sky. I saw a flash of something burst into flames and then instantly a spot fire started just to the right of the main fire. It was way too close for comfort from the Cameron Peak fire.
It’s been the wildest two weeks ever…from watching the Cameron Peak fire grow and start taking over smaller communities outside of the Estes Valley, and then on the edge of our homes. Then the Troublesome fire broke out threatening even more of our lively community. Glen Haven, Storm Mountain, and around to Red Feather Lakes, Masonville and beyond, for the Cameron Peak fire. The Troublesome fire threatened Allenspark, Meeker Park, Estes Park and surrounding area and then grew wildly overnight.
The Troublesome fire grew fast and furious. One day it's down by Boulder as a small outbreak. The next day, as I sat eating breakfast with our local Association directors, we observed numerous emergency responders heading toward RMNP. Was this the sign the fire had broken the divide? Is it time to worry? It was. In less than a half-day we were put into voluntary, then into mandatory evac as the winds and dry conditions were a huge deficit to fight the oncoming danger. The skies turned red. Flakes of ash escalated to burnt pine needles and bark burned falling from the sky. It was so hard to breathe. The air was heavy with smoke and ash.
None of us were resting. Everyone had bags packed and was ready to be evacuated. We lived in voluntary evacs for quite a while at our home. Watching mandatory evacs popping up constantly, then downgraded to voluntary, then back to mandatory. What a rollercoaster of emotions! You could feel the anxiety in the air (not just the smoke). You can still feel it as we are unsure of what will happen in the next week or two, and the general cleanup to get back to business.
Our favorite mountain biking trails and hiking places have been destroyed. This doesn’t mean anything compared to the homes that have been lost. The firefighters and emergency responders have been so busy protecting and trying to stay ahead. It’s amazing to see the teamwork from our town and many departments from around the state pitching in. There have been many more homes that were saved due to their endless efforts. Black faces, tired and weary, hungry and dirty, they come for rest in town in Estes Park, Loveland and Fort Collins. We opened our lodges, homes and vacation homes for them to stay close. Our locals who stayed regardless of the danger have all met the challenge. From buses transporting elderly and sick from the hospital and the Good Samaritan, trailers gently loaded with horses being trans-
We could see the giant mushroom cloud of smoke as the flames devoured our wonderful wild landscaping in the distance and knew in our hearts it was coming this way. We watched from the Estes Park sign on Highway 36 made of stone as you enter the valley, the orange in the distance but only behind the ridge. We saw it crest the top of the moun-
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