Hi All,
I live in Ft Collins, CO where the big fire is located. I am happy to say that there has been so much giving from everyone all over the USA. The local fairgrounds has donated space for all livestock and there has been so much hay donated they have asked people to stop! I don't know if you heard about the 140 alpacas from one farm, and the owners were at the fiber festival in Estes Park when they found out. They hardly had any time to move all 140...but people were there to help them with trailers and one baby was born that day and 2-3 more born a little later.People are showing up with toiletries, food, clothes for the 1000+ "homeless". Red Cross and Salvation Army have helped feed and take care of everyone waiting to find out if they have a home or not.
Tonight many of them found out. My brothers place was in the middle of it and his house was spared. They got all their animals out except for 2 4-H chickens. I have 2 friends that lost their house and one friend that her barn burned down but they saved her house. My nephew was helping neighbors get their horses out, the smoke got so bad when he got on the highway. Then he got a flat tire. He was trying to change it with really rusty lugnuts and he couldn't bust 'em. 4 deputies came over and changed it for him in less than 3 mins. and the smoke was so thick he could barely see the road. My other 14 yr old nephew drove a p/u about 15 miles into town...and he had only driven up and down the driveway before. Another friend was in Cheyenne all day (the fire started a couple miles from his house while he was gone for the day)and came home to 4 roadblocks and they wouldn't let him drive to his house. He said I have to get up to my dog and cat.."I'M GOING THRU!" He went thru all 4 and got home grabbed a box of clothes, his important papers, dog and cat and was out of there. He lost his house and had no fire insurance. Several of us are going to go up and do a "barn raising" to get him into a small temporary home for the winter. It might be fall before they let them back in because there are so many hotspots. It's 47,000 acres burned now and it's headed for the National Forest with tons more beetle kill trees.
Well, enough rambling, but thanks from all the Rist Canyon people... for all the prayers, and giving from everyone. It restores my faith in people when I see so much giving to and from total strangers. It is so nice of all of you to want to help even tho you're so far away!
FIMA is coming anyday now and they MIGHT have temporary housing for the 118 houses that burned down. There are plenty of places to board horses here if they have to for a few months. So just know everyone is taken care of. Craigs List for N. Colo. has ads everyday to folks in need if you want to kinda keep up on the livestock end of it.. THANKS for caring!
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