Please remember our fire fighters this weekend

As all of watch the fire in Boulder please remember we have wonderful volunteer departments in our area.

If you can make it out to the Big Chili Cook-Off this weekend please do it is a wonderful way to support our mountain departments.

Also, please take a moment to send prayers to those who have lost their homes and those who are still waiting to find out. A big prayer for rain right now would also be great.

God Bless!

Amen Mountaindollar. All these fine folks are in our prayers tonight.

:Hotnews: Some of the firefighters at the Boulder fuego were relieved from duty because their homes burned down. I hope they at least had State Certified Defensible Space around their homes. It would be excruciatingly ironic if they didn't, because they push those programs actively throughout the area...I'm retired FDNY, and I lived right by Shaffers Crossing for 7 years. (Elk Haven Lane - end of the road up and past the 3 switchbacks), and I understood the value of the programs, did a lot of work, and had my state certificate. I hope the folks I sold to are doing the necessary maintainance... :soap:

I live in a Firewise community. Many many homeowners here have either done their own fire mitigation or have had the Platte Canyon Fire Department do it through a grant program.

A donation line has been set up!

The United Way says anyone wishing to make any kind of donation, from money to clothes to food, can call 211. Callers will then be transferred to the appropriate agency for their donation. The service is free and is open 24 hours a day.

The United Way is asking people not to drop off donations at the center itself.

Anyone who would like to help volunteer is encouraged to call 303-444-4904.

You may also call Denver Chapter of the Red Cross to make donations.
444 Sherman Street
Denver, CO 80203
(303) 722-7474

The Personal Stories.

A day after he lost his home to the Fourmile Canyon Fire, Lewis Perkins will tell you he's just glad he's still alive.

"That was a monster fire," he said. "[Firefighters] did everything they could and they are a bunch of good guys, but when you have a monster fire like that there's not much you can do."

He was working on a motorcycle in his shop in the Gold Hill area on Monday morning when he smelled the smoke and saw the flames. Minutes later, firefighters were telling him to leave the place he has called home for the last 42 years.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx? ... &catid=339

They were always a close knit community, but when fire swept through Four Mile Canyon, residents found out how really close they are.
Bill Hyatt and Pam Green have lived in their home there for 27 years. When Bill first saw the billowing clouds of smoke from the fire, it wasn't what he saw that concerned him. It is what he heard.

"There was this very close advancing, very thick gray and orange wall of smoke and you could hear the roar through it, which was almost more scary than seeing the flames," Hyatt said.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx? ... &catid=339

Leaving man's best friend behind

LONGMONT - For a woman who was evacuated from her home because of a wildfire, Nancy Harpin is unusually happy.
"I'm delighted," she said after petting her two Golden Retrievers, Indy and Callie.

Moments later, she handed the animals over to workers at the Longmont Humane Society.

"It is what it is. And you've got to get everyone out," she said of leaving her home Monday afternoon as flames from the Fourmile Canyon Fire began to rise in the area. "In this situation, I'm not living in a hotel with three dogs."

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx? ... &catid=339

In addition to thanking/praying for our firefighters and others affected by this fire, I hope we all take some time to seriously consider how well we are prepared if this should happen to us, and work to become better prepared.

As just one example, do you have a communication plan established and known by your loved ones, in case you are evacuated?

For more information on how to become better prepared for an emergency.......
Please go to [url=http://www.disastersupportvolunteers.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]http://www.disastersupportvolunteers.com[/url]

Got a couple of PM's on the Chili Cook-Off it is at Evergreen Lake this Sunday starts at 11:00.

Proceeds go to all of our mountain area fire departments.

We will only be spectators this year because of scheduling conflicts but it was quite a hoot having a booth last year.

If you have time go eat some great chili, listen to some good music and don't forget to watch the fireman challenge those guys rock!!!