All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
The CalWood fire exploded on Saturday, Oct. 17. The fire was called in at noon and by 3 p.m. clouds of billowing smoke were seen from the top of Gunbarrel Hill.
The CalWood fire was equally impressive at night. The photo was taken at 8 p.m. eight hours after it was first reported. The photo was taken from Gunbarrel Hill.
Drought and high winds continued to create havoc in Boulder County. On Saturday, Oct. 17, a fire broke out near the CalWood Education Center in Jamestown. The fire quickly spread, and within the first 24 hours, became the biggest fire in Boulder County history.
Evacuations were immediate.
But within the chaos caused by the fire, there are those who want to help. Lefty's Pizza in Niwot donated pizzas to the Hygiene Fire Department. A quick look on Nextdoor also revealed those who were ready to help with livestock.
Erin Hutchinson of Niwot is one of those people. Hutchinson said that she has had horses all her life, and after seeing a stream of horse trailers on the Diagonal, she asked herself what could she do to help?
The Boulder County Fairgrounds is the designated area for sheltering large animals. Hutchinson heard that it quickly filled up with 500 horses.
"I have four acres of land and corrals," she said. "Why not offer to help the horses here. I know what it's like to need help. I want to pay it forward."
She said what the general population doesn't realize is that there are horses with special needs. "Maybe they've never been in a stall before or need meds. I could help them out. It's nice to have an extra set of hands when (the horses) are frightened or you're frightened."
While no one has taken her up on her offer, Hutchinson understands how difficult all of this is. "There is something nice about having our horse at the designated evacuation point," she said. She was able to take hay over to the fairgrounds for bedding material.
The unexpected wet weather on Sunday morning helped, but the overall forecast does not look good for fires. Strong winds are expected during the coming week, with the next possibility of precipitation arriving on Saturday or Sunday. As of Tuesday, Oct. 20, the total acreage burned for these two fires is over 9,800 acres.
At press time, a total count of 26 homes have been destroyed. That number is expected to go higher.
For more information go to http://www.bouldercounty.oem.
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