Colorado is on Fire
If you haven't heard, Colorado is on fire. Not just in one spot; there are multiple fires in multiple cities...a big darn deal. This picture is of Colorado Springs, where the Air Force Academy and the "Garden of the Gods" are located. Over 32,000 people have had to evacuate (including friends of ours!), and a lot of homes have burned. It is blazing hot, literally: 105 in Denver this week! And the wind is crazy...like 70mph: a firefighter's nightmare. We (Dear Hubby, Babycakes, and I) are not currently in danger ourselves from the fires, as we live in the 'burbs of Denver, but are feeling the effects in our lungs as the smoke billows our way. Please pray for everyone who has already lost so much and those who are currently threatened. I really can't imagine losing everything like that. I know ultimately it's "just stuff"... but it's sentimental, valuable, and sometimes a lifetime worth of memories. Picture source.
Beautiful places and lives are being destroyed.
And just yesterday another fire started in Boulder, behind the beloved Flatirons which I reminisced about in Monday's giveaway post.
Here's one more pic from a friend in Colorado Springs:
Please pray for rain, the firefighters' strength, safety, and effectiveness, and all those who are being affected.
Questions:
- Have you ever been affected by a natural disaster?
- If you had time to prepare, what would you take from your house, if evacuated?
Comments
Prayers for Colorado
My aunt and her family live in CO Springs. The fires are terrible indeed. We had a similar event last year here in TX. First time I had experienced a fire of that kind of scale. When I drove down the interstate and could see it, it freaked me out! When the fires got close to us, we had all our important papers and valuables in a box and the animals carriers by the door incase we had to go, we could be out of the house in less than 5 minutes with everything that mattered. Though we live in a pastured area and my Dad is certified for forest fires (they set them at our house in fl) and was certain he could protect our property -goober.
Best of luck to you guys and your friends, I hope you guys get some relief soon.
Thought of you...
When I first heard about the fires this morning I thought about you and your family. I'm glad you guys are ok, and will pray for everyone being affected. I have never been through a natural disaster, but I think if I was being evacuated I would take my family albums, my dog Lily, and our important documents.
The fire is insane!! We've
The fire is insane!! We've been praying. It's so scary!! I was actually in Dominican Republic when Haiti had that huge earthquake so I could feel it shaking. That was insane too. I actually tried to think of what I would want to take from my house this morning, but there's really nothing in particular. I know I'd be tempted to grab my laptop, but that's ridiculous. It's not worth anything!! Lol.
What to grab
Isn't it crazy to try and think of what you would grab in an emergency? My mom was evacuated from her home last year when there was a fire in the pinery near Parker and she realized that she didn't have anything "ready to grab". She had her mortgage papers in one folder, her passport in another, her birth certificated somewhere else. She now has those documents in a "get out of the house fast" folder. The important ones are the ones that prove you are who you say you are, as those will be the hardest to replace (since you have to have one or two to get another). She also grabbed family heirlooms, like the quilt my great grandmother hand sewed, picture albums of her childhood and mine, stuff that can't be replaced. When she was able to get back into the house, she saw so many other things she wished she would have grabbed. It is a very surreal experience.
Lots of prayers
So sorry this is happening on your side of the US. I will definitely say prayers. Glad you three are ok!
oh my goodness gracious!!
oh my goodness gracious!! definitely sending up prayers! we had a huge fire right next to our home last weekend and had to be evacuated. i know what you mean, scary stuff!
Wildfire donation
With so many people displaced from their homes and those that have lost all of their possessions, there are many in need. The American Red Cross Colorado Chapter have been essential to everyone who has been displaced. If you are looking for a way to help, a donation to the Red Cross in Colorado would not go to waste.
Also, the parents of a lady that Kelly and I went to high school with lost everything in the High Park fire on Sunday near Ft. Collins. They owned a Llama ranch there and lost one of their llamas in addition to their home, barn, equipment, vehicles and memories. A fund has been set up for the Paige family via paypal. Donations can be sent to email: ironweaver@gmail.com (Brian Paige) under the personal tab and living expense.
Prayers are also always welcome! It is a horrible tragedy to see such a drought in CO and all of the floods in Florida.
Link to donate
http://denver-redcross.org/index.asp?IDCapitulo=Q4Q26NY21N
This is just so sad.
This is just so sad.
I have to admit that it's a little hard for me to relate because it almost doesn't seem REAL to me. I live in an area where there are very seldom natural disasters (except for the occasional hurricane or tornado, which are usually pretty weak by the time they get to us- and the freak earthquake we has last summer...). I'm sure that when I'm out there in a few weeks it will definitely seem a lot more real, and I'll feel the magnitude. I really, really hope that there's a solution soon. It breaks my heart to think of all of the destruction these massive fires have caused.
So sad!
I remember when this was going on in California a few years back and the gal who sat next to me at work had family there...so sad!
It's so crazy how hot it is this year! Record highs and 20 degrees above the average.
Please stay safe and I am definitely praying for those affected!
Prayers for Colorado :-)
Many Many prayers your way in in all of Colorado! Where I work one of the other centers is located in Colorado Springs so people have not been able to work because of all the evacuations & safety issues. I'm from Oklahoma originally(live in VA now) and I know how these wildfires due to the weather can affect people. Again many prayers coming your way :-)
YIKES.
I'm so late on this! NPR was making it sound like things were getting a bit better. I hope so.
I've lived through SEVERAL floods. I've always been fortunate enough not to be especially affected by flooding, other than a few inches of water in the basement and not being able to get out of Ames to drive to Des Moines to get to work (oh darn).
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