As I drove into Colorado Springs, I saw the sign that says Colorado Springs and felt like I was home. I had seen that sign on T.V. with flames behind it. That day it was back to normal but there was still smoke. I took my usual route and went down Woodman to Vindicator. I went by Walgreen's and saw the hills that once were so beautiful now looking like they had been burnt to a crisp. I stepped out of the car to get the dog. It smelled like a big bon fire. The family dog sitting for me was okay and happy to be home. We went home and found everything in order. I took the dog for a walk. We could smell the smoke. It was very strong but not in the house. There was not any ash or smoke in the house at all. There was a bit on the patio but was easily swept away. As we walked, we looked over at Mountain Shadows. It was sad. Everything burnt. Homes were all dark with no lights. It looked eerily empty and very lonely. The next day it rained. After the rain, we went for a walk. It was dusk. We looked over at Mountain Shadows. There were lights on in the homes that were still there. Since it was dusk, we couldn't see any burn marks. It smelled fresh and new after the rain storm. I walked with a smile on my face enjoying the moment that everything seemed normal just like any other day in Mountain Shadows.
Miracles, Miracles, Miracles
I went to church. We heard from a young adult girl that had lost her home. She spoke on faith. She referred to verse 5 of a church hymn called How Firm a Foundation. It speaks of fire and refining. They had sung it in church the week before. She said that just a few weeks ago she had thought how lucky she was. She had so many nice things and such a nice life. Her home had now been taken away but she still had her family and had seen so much charity for those in the community. She felt thankful that she had the opportunity to go through such a trial so that she could learn, grow, and be stronger from the experience. I spoke to another lady that lost her home and everything in it. She was happy and smiling. No tears, just gratitude. She had a new grand baby this week. She has all of her family. She spoke of some loss but was happy to be alive and have her family. The father of the girl that spoke said that was certainly a great way to get rid of a lot of clutter. I had spoken to him in the parking lot of Albertson's grocery store a few days ago. He said that he had been packing up things since the Saturday before the fire. They had taken a lot of memento's and precocious things. On the day of the fire, he finished loading up and drove away from his home at 5:23 p.m. A friend of theirs said they saw his home engulfed in flames at 5:30 p.m. He was thankful for his safety.
I spoke to two other ladies. One lives on Charing Court. Hers is one of the only houses still standing. They have smoke and ash but didn't lose anything. They feel guilty that they kept everything but their close friends and neighbors lost everything. The other lady's husband is in our Bishopric. He is a Counselor to the Bishop. He gave his wife the keys and told her to go to the Church that is on Centennial. She watched the fire from the Church. She watched if burn right down to across the street from the church and burn itself out. There were no fire fighters there. It just burned itself out across the street. Her husband stayed at their home and was hosing down their house. A policeman asked him to leave. Later, another policeman asked him to leave. Finally, a policeman said that he would follow him out of the neighborhood to ensure he left. He met his wife at the church. They listened to the radio until they turned off the power and evacuated Pinon Valley then they had to go. Their home had some smoke and ash but all homes in their neighborhood were safe. They didn't lose anything. She said that a home on Manning which was east of Flying W Ranch Road was engulfed in flames. The firemen put out that fire and took a stand there which saved 195 homes east of Flying W Ranch Road. I went home after church and saw my neighbor one door north of me. They had a house full of smoke and ash. They were there today packing and cleaning. A company will come and clean out their home of the smoke and ash. They had left window's open on the West and were not able to come home to close them during the fire. They haven't lived in their home all week and are staying somewhere else. I now know just how lucky I was to come home and find my house just as I left it knowing that my neighbors just a few feet away were not so lucky.
Viewing the Destruction
My neighbor and I drove through Mountain Shadows. It was totally amazing. It was obvious how many homes were saved by the fire fighters. A fence line was partially burnt and partially removed by the fire fighters. The fire engulfed the fence but not the homes. One home only had it's garage burnt down. One home just had the roof burnt. Other homes were burnt down to the ground with only a mound of ashes remaining. One neighborhood had two homes burnt and the rest look just fine. One home had one wall burnt. My close friends live on Chuckwagon Road. It goes to Flying W Ranch that burnt to the ground. The flames were burning down Chuckwagon on the South. They live on the north. The fire stopped just before it reached there homes. It was coming straight for their building. She showed me pictures and the flames were right there. They were able to clean the smoke and ash out themselves without hiring anyone to help. I was three blocks from destruction. There were some that were a house away from destruction or across the street from destruction. One lady at church said that they found where the fire had burnt under their deck and then went out. Some people had the flames knocking at their door. For others, it was at their fences. Unfortunately, some lost everything even their lives. My neighbor works with a man that belongs to a hiking club and was friends with a fellow member. His friend was 70 years old. They figured that he had a hard time getting back into the neighborhood. He got to his home as his neighbor was leaving. His neighbor told him to get his wife and get out. He went in to assist his crippled wife to evacuate. However, they neither one made it out. They found their remains later. Our hearts go out to their families. I told my friend about it in church today and she cried for their loss. With destruction all around us, we feel a strong sense of community. At church, we are going to have a "Shower" similar to a wedding shower for the ladies that lost their homes. We will have it in August. We are going to encourage gift cards for the gifts so these families can buy what they need when they are able to move back into their homes after they are rebuilt. We feel closer as a church and as a community during this difficult time.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
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