I was in Utah on vacation when I heard that my house might burn down. I was at the mall with my best friend of 39 years. We were celebrating our birthdays. I was in the dressing room trying on some clothes when my dogsitter called. She said, "Cari, I'm so glad I got a hold of you. I can see the flames from my bedroom window. I've got your dog all packed and ready to evacuate. We are taking the kids and the dogs to my husband's parent's home three hours south of the Springs. We will take good care of your dog. He will be fine." She sounded frantic. As I was talking to her, her 16 year old son said, "Mom, I can hear the fire. It is right here. We have to go now." We hung up and I was in shock. She lives just up the street from me and the flames were right there near her home. I told my friend what was going on and she was surprised. I immediately called my neighbor but she didn't answer her phone. I called my other neighbor. She said, "Oh Cari, I grabbed my dogs and tried to leave the neighborhood as quick as I could. There was so much black smoke that I could hardley see to drive. They have turned all four lanes on Centennial to go South towards Garden of the Gods. No one can drive North. It took me 15 minutes to get onto Centennial. It is just horrible. I wanted to get into your house and get your important papers but I didn't have a key." I had given the key to my other neighbor. My co-worker called. She lives right on Centennial. She said that everyone was evacuating. She rushed home from work but didn't even have 30 minutes to get her mail and her belonging to rush out. I asked her where she was going to go. She mentioned that two other co-workers had offered their home but she wanted to try to find a hotel. She ended up down in Pueblo. I called our Controller but he didn't answer. My other neighbor called me back. She said that she rushed home from work and was barely able to get into the neighborhood. She had packed her things but had left them by her front door. She went in the house and grabbed her things. She threw them in the car and didn't even have time to shut the window. I told her that I had left my window open too. She said that she was so scared that her legs were shaking and she wasn't sure she was going to get out okay. She was going to go and stay with her son down by fountain. I decided to cancel my flight home the next morning and remain in Salt Lake for a few more days. My Controller sent me an e-mail from his blackberry. His house was right in the fire zone. He was one of the last ones to leave his neighborhood. He had to leave through a wall of fire and smoke and was sure that his house had burnt to the ground but could not confirm it. Him and his family were staying at a hotel. He said that it was the scariest thing he has ever seen. I went to my home I have in Salt Lake and share with my parents. I went on kktv.com to see their live stream. I turned on the weather channel and they were talking about the floods in Florida then started talking about Colorado. I heard that Flying W Ranch had burnt to the ground. I was absolutely horrified because it is only about 1 1/2 miles from my home. My dogsitter called. She wanted to tell me that they had made it to Circle Drive and were at McDonalds getting the kids some dinner. I told her about Flying W Ranch and we both started crying. She said that was her favorite place and she had all their CD's. We were both just horrified at what was happening. I felt so helpless being in Salt Lake and not even being able to get my pictures, passport, and important papers. I only had what I had packed to go on vacation. She said that her husband and kids had gone in to get food but she couldn't go in because she was crying and just a mess. She gave me the phone number and address as to where they would be and reassured me that they would take really good care of my dog. I appreciated so much that they were willing to evacuate him. My General Manager called and told me to stay where I was. I told him the next day that I would come back on Monday even if I couldn't get in my house. If I had to, I would get a hotel in Denver and work out of our Denver Branch and drive back and forth as I had to. I called my close friends from church that live on Chuckwagon and west of Centennial. She was on a business trip to Los Angelas and was thinking of staying longer. She works at the Airforce Academy as a civilian. She was supposed to work on Saturday to work with the incoming cadet's. She wasn't sure that she would have to work that day or not. She said that her husband was hurrying to pack a few things. He got them packed but before he could load it in the car, he realized their neighbor was not leaving like she was supposed to. I knew their neighbor and had been worried about her. He rushed to her house and she was just in shock. He got her going and put her in her car and got her to drive away. He didn't have time to get his suitcases and had to leave without them. He is staying at his work. He had to go to the store to buy some underwear and clothes since his were still in the suitcases at their house. He illegally hiked up on a ridge later and saw that their house had not burned down and could see that the fire had not gone into my neighborhood. We promised to keep in touch. I am just heartbroken about the people at my church that lived up in the fire zone. I just know that some of them have lost their homes. I am also heartbroken about all the wild animals that lost their lives, are running for their lives, or now have to find a new home. This picture from the Gazette touched me seeing this firefighter helping this poor exhausted deer. I am now used to living by the Bears, Coyettes, Bobcats, Foxes, Deer, and Rabbits and am so saddened at their plight away from these wildfires. I'm not too concerned for the rattlesnakes. They still freak me out. I am anxious to get back and start cleaning the smoke out of my house and helping my friends and neighbors. I know that our church will pull together and people will get the help they need. Our church will help members and non-members alike. I feel so very fortunate that I was in Salt Lake and didn't have to go through the harrowing experience that my friends, neighbors, and co-workers had to go through. I have been praying for them. My assistant at work lives 8 miles east of the fire but has found 3 x 3 ash in her yard. She is horrified and heartbroken. It is difficult for her to go to work. Our plant is just a couple of blocks outside the evacuation zone. She told me that she keeps an eye out her window and if it gets too bad she is just going to leave work and go home without any heistation. I told her to definately do that. She is really worried and especially concerned for the co-workers and former employees that live in the fire zone. Waldo Canyon and Blogget Peak Open Space are two of our favorite places to hike and they are both on fire. I have previos posts of hikes we have done in those places. It is just so sad. So many lives have been dramatically changed.
