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History–As Told by Our Members
Colorado’s Worst Wildfire Season in History – As Told by Our Members
Abbey Pontius – Larimer County
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. 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. 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 mountain 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.
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. 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-
ferred to pastures generously opened from strangers. People stopping to help anyone in need who is trying to evacuate. Homeless or transient being assisted to get to the Red Cross or using others' phones to call for arrangements. The community spirit is overflowing here. Donations of food, assistance with housing, folks offering to check on homes, housing for firefighters and many outlets for assistance are open and operating. The generosity of our locals is stellar. We have restaurants that are giving away meals, loaves of bread and sack lunches for the firefighters. Plumbers were running around like crazy to get to the homes that have damage or freezing promptly to stop the water loss and more damage immediately. The biggest request we are seeing now is firewood, and for donations to our local fire departments like Glen Haven. The gas and electricity were shut off to a portion of town so this has caused some serious housing issues as plumbing has frozen and now during thaw is bursting and flooding homes. That was my last two days and I assume won’t be the end of it yet. There was waist deep snow with a home spraying water all over due to burst pipes with five feet of water in the crawlspace. No heat and no water now. The furnace is under about four feet of water so it’s a replacement situation and the tenants cannot come home until it's habitable. I don’t have accurate numbers, but have heard approximately 700 homes are in the same situation with no water, frozen pipes and scrambling to get repairs going. The majority of folks are just now getting back to town, but we still have mandatory and voluntary evacs in place and expect them to stay put until the fire is contained and there is no threat. As the colder weather and snow have helped, the fire is not extinguished, just dampened for now. As we start returning to our homes the relief we feel is tremendous. For some it’s met with more frustration. With services such as gas and electricity turned off for safety, met with freezing temps, some are dealing with damage and major water issues. Hats off to all plumbers, electricians and maintenance personnel, aside from the firefighters, as they are now in the spotlight to get families and businesses up and running. It’s the beginning of a recovery. Staying tuned and on edge until these fires are put out.
Janene Johnson – Grand County
While Grand County is fairly large in size geographically, it is a relatively small, tightly knit community. The outpouring of kindness, offers of help and just being there for our neighbors was astounding. I always knew we were a strong and mighty community, but it was never tested until the Williams Fork and the Troublesome fires pushed us to our limits. People offered assistance in moving anything, from furniture and treasures, to cattle and horses. I even saw a discussion on our community’s Facebook page about whether a goat and a sheep could be transported out of the area in one car or not. I did not witness the outcome, but my guess is there were eventually two cars involved! Once the Troublesome fire raged through Granby and Grand Lake, the needs became very obvious. Housing at first was critical, and still is. We’ve had offers from our many second homeowners, whether from other parts of Colorado or out of state, to use their properties. READ MORE READ MORE Our food bank was evacuated, so we had to move quickly and establish another location. We’re doing well with food READ MORE and the bare necessities, but warm winter clothing is now an issue. READ MORE READ MORE
$30 Can Help Your Mountain
READ MORE READ MORECommunity Neighbors in Need! If every REALTOR® gives just $30, we can help people rebuild their lives through our CAR Foundation Disaster READ MORE Relief Fund. These funds will be used to assist residents DONATE! across our state directly impacted by our 2020 wildfires. For donatins of $100 or more you will receive a Foundation Pin. For over 30 years, The CAR Foundation has invested REGISTER DONATE! millions in safe and affordable housing for those in need and housing-related disaster assistance.
