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80027 Strong But Stronger Together | Marshall Fire

80027 Strong But Stronger Together | Marshall Fire

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A comprehensive list of resources; government and community, essays, and images from the Marshall Fire

• Click here for the gallery of photos from the fire.

• Skip down to the Marshall Fire Resources List here.

• Click here to support local businesses affected by the fire.

A Message from Ashley Stolzmann, Louisville Mayor

Dear Louisville residents,

Of all the difficult messages I’ve had to share with you over the last two years, this is without a doubt the most painful.

Our community and our neighboring communities in Superior and unincorporated Boulder have suffered a tragedy resulting from the fires which ravaged our homes, businesses, and open space. None of us remain untouched by these losses in one way or another.

I have spent the last day working closely with the City’s leadership team, Chief Dave Hayes, the Fire District, and the Sheriff’s Office. I can assure you that although the City’s buildings were evacuated, the City is still hard at work and we will get through this together.

First responders are still responding to this emergency and the City will continue to share information as it becomes available. I urge you to follow the Boulder Office of Emergency Management on social media or visit their updates page.

I am deeply grateful to all of Louisville’s first responders who have been working tirelessly to protect our community and also to the first responders from all of our neighboring communities who answered the call and continue to support and protect our community.

There are a lot of unknowns right now, but what I do know, is that Louisville is a strong community full of people, who have supported each other during nearly two years of pandemic. I know we will continue to use our strength and community spirit to persevere and rebuild in the face of this tragedy.

Please remember that the evacuation order and the boil water notice are still in effect. Please do not return to the evacuation area until we have advised you that it is safe to do so.

If you’re able to and are looking for somewhere to donate money or accommodation, please see the links below.

If you’re needing mental health support after the events of the last 24 hours, please access the free mental health resources.

As ever, Louisville, it is an honor to be your Mayor.
Mayor Ashley Stolzmann

Photo: Patrick Kramer

A Message from Patrick Kramer, Longmont Fire Department

Let me start by saying… this post is not for “likes” or to fish for comments of gratitude.

If you know me, you know that I rarely post anything. However the events of the day and night that I witnessed, compelled me to share a few of my experiences of which I have never seen before, nor do I hope to ever see again. The scope of the devastation is completely unimaginable. To say I have no words is a grand understatement. Apocalyptic. Surreal. “Movie-like” is what comes to mind.

Myself and my crew of Troy Reed, Joey Ginsborg, and Jeremy Sigg worked with hundreds (probably thousands) of firefighters to save houses. To save neighborhoods… however, Mother Nature had other ideas. Never in my life have I been in wind and fire conditions like I experienced today.  And never in my life have I felt so helpless while watching home after home burn to the foundation with nothing we could do to stop it.

Photo: Patrick Kramer

I’m super proud of my crew. They could not have worked any harder. We did save some homes… maybe even more than we know. But Mother Nature was the boss today and she let us know it. The only other comparison that I can think of, was working during the flood of 2013. However, today had a much more sinister feel…

I‘m super proud of my crew. They could not have worked any harder. We did save some homes…

I don’t know what can be done to help those affected by these fires, but I hope if you can help in any little way… that you do. People are going to need it.

As busy as we were, I took a few seconds here and there to document the devastation. Maybe it’s the journalist in me. But this is truly unforgettable and these communities will never be the same. The healing and rebuilding will take years. I think many will never completely heal. My heart goes out to all who have lost so much.

Be well.

Photo: Patrick Kramer

[These firefighters’ words express so much for all of us. Thank you Patrick Kramer of the Longmont Fire Department for you and all the firefighters who were so courageous for our communities.]

Photo: Sheryl Zimmerer

A Message from Sheryl Zimmerer

In the past 24 hours, people in #bouldercolorado lost their homes to the #colorado #MarshallFire #MiddleForkFire wildfire. I lost my home (along with 3500 other homes) in the September 2020 Almeda Fire and offer this help, and any other help, that I can give.

For those who lost your home:

  • Get a notebook to start making lists of to-dos, phones numbers, policy numbers, and other things like this list. Your brain is going lots of directions and it will help you start to get on the right track.
  • Call your insurance company immediately to get a claim going. Get them to send you emergency funding to cover you over the next days. They can usually get an initial amount to you within a day.
  • Call your mortgage company to put your payment on hold.
  • Get a mailing company mailbox like UPS or FedEx. They went quickly after the fire, but these companies can take all deliveries, not just mail. It’s a horrible feeling to not know where to send the things that will help you put your life back together.
  • Allow a friend or family member to put together an Amazon wish list for you to send to people who ask.
  • Get a storage unit immediately. These went fast. We lived in seven locations in three weeks. People offered us furniture and other things that we needed once we found a stable place.
  • Go with the insurance adjuster to your site and make sure they understand completely what was there. Ours came from out of state, and we didn’t go, so he put rebuilding our house at only $130 a square foot (comically below Rogue Valley averages). Help them understand if you can how much it will cost to rebuild. If they do come in low, get a competing bid and fight them for every penny.

Photo: John Anderson

  • Your insurance has many “buckets” including personal property, debris removal, landscape, dwelling, other, and so much more. Ask them for a list of all your buckets and coverage amounts. The questions are at the end of this post. You’ll need this as you try to get your coverage amounts paid out. Some insurance companies were better than others for paying out claims easily.
  • Reach out to the Red Cross, FEMA, and other agencies that help fire survivors. Helping Hands International sifted my house last and found small treasures that I’ll be forever grateful for. They also grieved with us. When I tried sifting on my own, I cut myself and needed a tetanus shot. There are so many entities willing to help. Don’t hesitate to ask for it.
  • Don’t hesitate to ask the companies that you bought things from if they will replace or give you a discount on replacing items. It reminds me of the importance of registering my products. My daughters reached out to several and I was shocked what they sent. One incredible company sent us a whole grill and everything that went with it. Also, stores in the area gave us incredible, sacrificial discounts.
  • The decision to buy or rebuild is a hard one. We chose to rebuild after we realized our mortgage doesn’t go away after a fire. If you have 12 years left on your house, you still have 12 years and eventually have a new house. If you buy after a wildfire, demand and prices are really high (Almeda Fire lost 3500 homes). While building was really hard, we were better off financially. For some people, buying and getting settled quickly is worth the extra cost.
  • Once those things are situated, you can turn off utilities, contact elections offices to send ballots, fill out tax assessor forms, try to get vital records and do all the millions of other things that you will need to do while searching for a place to call home.

Photo: Dan Bruder

A Message from Shavonne Blades, Yellow Scene Magazine

As the founder of Yellow Scene Magazine, I have lived in Boulder County for 31 years. I moved to Erie when it was 500 homes. Superior was 255 homes back in 1990, now today ALL of Old Town is gone, in just a few hours.

Photo: Dan Bruder

YS started in 2000 because of these homes. I had been working at the Weekly in Boulder and left as I lived in Erie and saw the growth happening. I thought to myself, all these new residents need something that is their voice, not just an offshoot of Boulder, but our very own voice.

The first-decade YS was only distributed in East County and we were known as the Voice of East County. In 2009 we added Boulder and have worked hard to be the Voice of BOCO but still never, ever leaving our roots in East County. (Some were afraid we would forget them but we didn’t; we are more loyal to our backyard than ever before.)

On Saturday I drove down South Boulder Rd. for an appointment in Boulder, each left turn leading to the devastation, they were all blocked by the National Guard. But I could smell it. It just smelled of burn. I could see the black of the grass fields along the way leading to the neighborhoods. Neighborhoods I watched get built. These neighborhoods are the very reason for Yellow Scene Magazine. I have so many friends who live in those homes burning, friends who ran or worked at those businesses.

Photo: John Anderson

Maybe it’s also the collection of the last 5 years and especially the last two with the pandemic, but I feel a great deal of responsibility to be of service. YS exists because of these communities.

I believe we will see our community come out like we never have. I do not know if that is enough to replace what people lost. One man lost all his artwork which he said was his retirement. My heart ached when I read that. But I am already seeing our community once again, come together through another crisis.

I believe we will see our community come out like we never have.

A Message from Ashley Stringham with Jerry Shaffer

It couldn’t be more fitting that this was one of the very few recognizable things laying in a pile of rubble that used to be our house and all of our memories. I bought it for Jer this past Christmas and it describes our love perfectly.

Photo: Ashley Stringham

For those of you that don’t know, Jer saved us the day of the fire. I was at home with Dylan and another baby that I watch. Jer had the car at work. Only minutes passed between the time that I began to smell smoke and our neighborhood completely filling with smoke so you couldn’t see a few feet in front of you. Just about the time I began to panic wondering how to get out without a car, as I didn’t want to risk bringing babies out in the smoke, I saw him fly around the corner into the driveway. He had seen the fires, dropped everything he was doing and literally raced the fire home to get us. We got the babies out as we watched houses go up in flames and he knew exactly what to do and which way to go to get us to safety. Minutes later we tried to check the baby monitor and it had cut out. We think it was because our house was gone. Our neighborhood was the first one to get hit and not one house survived.

He is our hero. I truly believe he is the reason we all made it out that day and he is the glue that is holding us together right now. I will surely love you as long as there are stars above us Jerry.

Photo: Kami Marland Gilmour

A Message from Kami Marland Gilmour

What neighbors mean after a natural disaster (from a survivor who lost their home along with 90% of their neighborhood in the East Troublesome Fire.)

  1. Disasters burn down trees and also bring down walls. You’ll suddenly get to know the people you’ve lived beside in a whole new way. Super-exposed, raw, and realizing you’ve shared an experience so deeply life-changing that your common bond will remain forever. Even the weird asshole neighbor down the street. He’s on your team now too, and he’s not as bad as you thought.
  2. You’ve now become a microcosm of human community in survival mode. It might be a single street of neighbors, or a network of folks throughout the community…but you’re building a tribe. In this tribe people will contribute their gifts of wisdom to one another as you navigate the new territory you’re all facing. Tap into it, lean into each other and your strengths, communicate weekly through Zoom, share the best of your experience, skills and wisdom as you divvy up the burden and act as a team.
  3. Don’t discount/exclude your neighbors who didn’t experience a total loss. They are experiencing massive survivors guilt, and likely still have significant insurance hurdles ahead as they remediate. They’re part of your tribe too.
  4. Embrace that the neighborhood will NEVER be/look the same. Your HOA is scrambling right now to figure out how to create reasonable architectural guidelines after a natural disaster requiring all of this rebuilding. There will be many builders, many plans, many timelines, and a lot of noise and construction chaos for a few years. Give grace—don’t be a dick in the process.
  5. Celebrate moving forward. You won’t be in sync with everyone’s schedules, but every step of the recovery, debris clearing, and rebuilding process is something to celebrate. Be present and excited for the joy and progress of others if they are faster at the recovery process than you are—this is what is coming your way soon!

Photo: Kami Marland Gilmour

Remember this: Beauty in the ashes will not come from treasures recovered, but from the new relationships that will come from your fellow neighbors who went through the fire with you, and the gestures of kindness and love you’ll receive. Take a deep breath and soak in the good when the bad is unfathomable. You’re not alone, your neighbors understand.

Photos by Patrick Kramer

Photos by Dan Bruder

Photos by John Anderson

 

MARSHALL FIRE RESOURCE LIST

Compiled by Mona Cedillo and Shavonne Blades

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

BUSINESS & EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE

CHILDREN, YOUTH and STUDENT SERVICES

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

FEMA

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

HOME & HOUSING

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING and URBAN DEVELOPMENT

IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE

FUNDRAISING and DONATIONS

MEALS

If you are not from the 80027 and impacted by the Marshall Fire, please reserve these services for those that were.

MIXED MEDIA

PETS

SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

LOUISVILLE, COLORADO POLICE DEPARTMENT

What’s at the Disaster Assistance Center? The Boulder County Disaster Assistance Center (DAC), located at the Boulder County Southeast County Hub at 1755 South Public Road in Lafayette, is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. This is a one-stop-shop for anyone impacted in any way by the Marshall fire and we encourage you to stop in when you’re ready.

Here is a full list of all services located there:

First Floor Southeast Community Hub:

  • DAC intake > DAC waiting > Main entry table
  • FEMA intake > After FEMA, proceed to local services > After local services, proceed to 2nd floor additional services
  • Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting
  • Boulder County Human Services
  • Boulder County Victim Advocates
  • City of Louisville
  • Colorado Pet Pantry
  • Division of Insurance
  • FEMA Assist
  • Firstnet
  • Hazard Mitigation
  • Health Serv. COVID tests
  • Mental Health Partners
  • Small Business Development Center
  • Snacks and Hydration
  • Southern Baptist Disaster Relief
  • Town of Superior
  • Unemployment Services
  • United Policy Holders
  • US Small Business Disaster Assistance
  • Xcel Energy

Second Floor:

  • Arc Thrift Store
  • Our Front Porch
  • United Way 2-1-1
  • A Precious Child
  • Red Cross
  • The Salvation Army

West Parking Lot:

  • American Family Insurance
  • State Farm
  • USAA
  • Veterans Center

Support these businesses affected by the Marshall Fire.

Superior

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Louisville

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Broomfield

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editor

https://yellowscene.com

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