Lower North Fork Fire Residents ask: Why no state help?

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/lo ... te-workers

CONIFER, Colo. - "Who should be doing this cleanup?" asked 7NEWS reporter Marshall Zelinger.
"I think it should be the (Colorado State) Forest Service," said Scanlan.
"It should have already been done by the State Forest Service," said survivor Andy Hoover. "They started the damn fire and it's their responsibility. It's their obligation to clean up after themselves."

http://www.9news.com/rss/article/291442 ... re-victims

"If anybody else had done this, they would be in jail and there'd be all kinds of people helping us," Scanlan said.

JEFFERSON COUNTY - Six months to the day that a Colorado Forest Service prescribed burn raced out of control killing three people and claiming 23 homes, people impacted by the fire are condemning the state's response.

They say they have received no state aid to help them clear burned trees from their properties and get on with the business of rebuilding their homes and lives.

VIDEO

The Kuehster Road Homeowners - Lower North Fork Fire Victims would like to thank 285 Bound and all of you who have been so supportive.

We realize that we were not the only wildfire in Colorado this year and our hearts go out to our neighbors who were in wildfires this year and years before. It is hard to describe how you feel for others watching a new wildfire having been through one yourself...

All we are asking for is that the State be responsible for what it caused, we want no special treatment. We will do what we can to keep this in the public eye to put pressure on those who want to sweep this under the rug. Please visit our sites and spread the word. - [url=http://www.lnff.info" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]www.lnff.info[/url]

I wrote a letter of disappointment and not only sent it to the emails on the website but anyone else that I thought might take interest.

To date I have not received any response back from anyone.

Please keep us updated I will keep writing if it helps.

I also encourage you and all the others to please let us know if there are any specail needs that you might have since no aid has come your way. We are moving into winter and maybe there are some winter items like gloves and snow shovels that need to be replaced (for example).

This is a very caring community (both Park Co and Jeffco) and I know people will step up to the plate to get you ready for the coming cold weather.

Thanks

HappyCamper wrote: I wrote a letter of disappointment and not only sent it to the emails on the website but anyone else that I thought might take interest.

To date I have not received any response back from anyone.

Please keep us updated I will keep writing if it helps.

I also encourage you and all the others to please let us know if there are any special needs that you might have since no aid has come your way. We are moving into winter and maybe there are some winter items like gloves and snow shovels that need to be replaced (for example).

This is a very caring community (both Park Co and Jeffco) and I know people will step up to the plate to get you ready for the coming cold weather.

Thanks

Thanks... Keep those letters coming, we are told they do make a difference even if you don't hear back.

Sharing our story via the Facebook page (Like & Share) is a good way to keep us visible. http://www.facebook.com/LowerNorthForkFire

For everyday needs I should mention that the Mountain Resource Center has been fantastic. I encourage you to support them as they have been there for us since day one. - http://www.mrcco.org/

I would also offer to anyone who is interested in writing a post for our blog on [url=http://www.lnff.info" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]http://www.lnff.info[/url] to just let me know.. probably best way is to PM me.

Thanks for keeping it front and center.

But I do have a question for you. It could have been even worse, although this was tragic enough, in that they might not have known who are/were the responsible parties and you could be bearing all the costs yourself. That being said I recognize that you expect the State Forest Service to be responsible and clean up the mess, but since that isn't happening, doesn't it make sense to clean it up yourself or pay to have it done and give CFS your bill when you file your court case? Am I missing something here?

mtntrekker wrote: Thanks for keeping it front and center.

But I do have a question for you. It could have been even worse, although this was tragic enough, in that they might not have known who are/were the responsible parties and you could be bearing all the costs yourself. That being said I recognize that you expect the State Forest Service to be responsible and clean up the mess, but since that isn't happening, doesn't it make sense to clean it up yourself or pay to have it done and give CFS your bill when you file your court case? Am I missing something here?

Thanks MtnTrekker for asking what I think many folks are wondering...

I wish it were as easy as presenting the CSFS with a bill, but it is not. First the cost is staggering and most could not absorb that. There is a process we were told to follow that has now been drastically changed by John Suthers, the CO State AG who has "joined" our claims" to those of insurances companies and effectively put us behind them. It will take years for anything to happen, if at all. It also causes us to incur significantly more in legal costs because of this action. Most people do not have that long to wait. This is the opposite of what HB 12-1361 was intended to do. Expect more detail to follow to as this unfolds.

Your first question is our biggest challenge... Had this been an act of nature none of this would be happening. We all understand the risk of living in the mountains. Many who do not share our love of the mountains and live elsewhere tell us we deserve this and none of us should have built here in the first place. Yes, it is true if nature had caused this then we would have been bearing all costs ourselves. Would that have been worse? I am not sure. Wildfire victims trying to rebuild their lives is something only a few can understand. That alone is staggering. In our case we have to do this while spending countless days, weeks and months fighting and testifying with the State because "we do know" who caused this. We do this when we should be rebuilding our lives. For example, the investigation the Commission was charged to do, ( http://lnff.info/what-really-happened ) - we had to do for them. That alone was months of work by a group of neighbors reviewing and uncovering documents and the putting that into a presentation that made sense. (285 Bound was kind enough to cover and video). Most of this was done by people with no homes who are living in temporary housing .. not yet knowing if they could possibly rebuild.

Better.. Worse? I honestly don't know.

Thank you for your insightful response.

Your website and blog are quite helpful in understanding where you are and what you are doing. Thanks to all of you who have taken on this formidable task.

Having seen the Hi Meadow fire first hand it is quite an experience to watch so many who lost their homes work through the nightmare with insurance companies, etc.

I am hoping more of you will write about your experiences on the blog or here. Mr. Hoover's writings leave me with so many more questions about wildfire mitigation considering he and family went the extra mile.

Even the best preparations won't always withstand a wildfire, particularly human caused. But working towards making our government accountable is a step in the right direction. I would like to follow your progress and hopefully help in achieving your goal.

I have written letters/emails and have not had any response so I am glad to learn that Happy Camper has done the same and that it does make a difference.

Thank you!