Nature’s cruel odds play out in wildfire
132 HOMES DESTROYED IN NEIGHBORHOOD; 180 SURVIVE
GARLAND» Firefighters chalked up their biggest win yet FORT Thursday in the battle against the massive Spring Creek fire in southern Colorado as they contained 35 percent of the wildfire, officials said.
But the toll of destroyed houses in the remote Forbes Park development rose to at least 132. The community east of Fort Garland was swept by flames more than a week ago as the fire broke out but it took officials that long to be able to enter the area and survey the damage. An unknown number of homes have been damaged and destroyed elsewhere by the thirdlargest fire in Colorado history, which reached more than 103,000 acres Thursday.
On Thursday evening, Forbes Park residents began trickling out of a community meeting carrying white pieces of paper that showed the fate of their mountain homes.
Those who had pictures of stillstanding houses smiled and rushed to friends to show the images. Those whose homes had been destroyed walked with their heads down, holding hands with loved ones as they got into their cars and drove away.
Earl and Shirley Hoskins, a Texas couple who have owned property in the community since 1979, received good news — intact.
“The flag is still up,” Earl Hoskins said. “The grass is still green. We left the old Dodge pickup, and it’s still there.”
It has been an emotional nine days since the
Spring Creek fire erupted just outside the Forbes Park gate. It has taken days for assessors to be able to access every home in the subdivision because of smoldering ashes and downed power lines.
Those learning the conditions of their homes Thursday lived toward the back of the development, and more homes were spared because firefighters had time to get inside and establish defenses, said Ronda Labato, the Costilla County assessor. She and her staff counted 180 intact homes, 132 destroyed and one damaged in Forbes Park.
One of the destroyed homes belonged to Amber Brown and Kyle Lawrence, a young couple who had bought their cabin in March.
Perched at 9,200 feet and sitting on a lot just over an acre, it was “the woodlands paradise you imagine,” Brown said.
The young couple were keeping a positive attitude. “It doesn’t mean we don’t wake up at 2 o’clock in the morning and think, ‘Oh, I lost my home,'” Brown said.
Not only is their home gone, but the two haven’t been able to work because they used home offices. Lawrence’s computers were lost. Brown said she had $3 in her pocket.
“All of that is secondary,” she said. “Nobody has lost their lives, and we still have our cats. I don’t mind living on a little less for a while.”
Las Animas County became the third county to be affected by the fire when pre-evacuation orders were sent Thursday to residents on the western edge. Residents of Costilla and Huerfano counties, where the fire is burning, have been under evacuation and preevacuation orders since the fire started.
As of Thursday night, firefighters had reached 35 percent containment, meaning they have built barriers they believe the fire cannot pass.
A storm front Thursday after- noon was kicking up winds that threatened to spread burning embers throughout the area, said Brittany Urban, a spokeswoman for the Spring Creek Fire. Fire crews were hoping that any rain would fall slow and steady rather than in a downpour.
The fire has been challenging because of the combination of steep terrain, heat, strong winds and plenty of timber and dry land to consume.
“It’s a challenging fire,” Urban said. “It’s been aggressive. It’s been fast. It’s been hot. It’s been big.”
On Wednesday night, the fire took a 180-degree turn when a strong wind from the east pushed flames toward the northwest, causing what was described as a 300-foot-high tsunami of wildfire sweeping over a small subdivision known as Paradise Acres. Winds moving at 35 mph fanned the flames, turning an untold number of homes into cinders and making unprecedented acreage gains of 15,000 to 20,000.
“It was a perfect fire storm. This is a national disaster at this time,” said Ben Brack, another Spring Creek fire spokesman. “You can imagine standing in front of a tsunami or tornado and trying to stop it from destroying homes. A human response is ineffective.”
Since the fire was ignited by a man cooking in a fire pit June 27, wind currents out of the southwest have been mostly pushing the north end of the wildfire in a northeasterly direction. But a cold front swept in overnight Wednesday, turning the fire 180 degrees. It was a good thing for homes on the eastern flank, but a devastating turn of events for neighborhoods and pine forests on the western flank, Brack said.
Firefighters have spent days using scrapers, bulldozers and logging equipment, dropping fire retardant from the sky and clearing brush to deprive the fire of fuel and to protect property owners. But the wind has carried embers up to three-fourths of a mile, causing hot spots to flare in unprotected areas.
For the Forbes Park residents, tension eased Thursday as more word about their houses became available. Forbes Park, a gated community with about 400 homes, has been the most populated area to be burned.
Residents will be allowed inside the development for four hours Saturday to take pictures and collect belongings. They have been warned to wear masks so they don’t breath ash and to bring boots, gloves and goggles.
David Bayly, a Forbes Park resident, was all smiles Thursday when he received a picture of his home and utility sheds that had been untouched by flames. “I am very, very fortunate,” Bayly said.
But he was cautious not to get too excited. “There’s a lot of fire left that very well could creep back up,” he said.
— Denver Post reporter Kirk Mitchell contributed to this report.