A large portion of Colorado is under a extreme fire danger warning, lots
of rain June and July with August and September going very dry.
Last week my
husband caught the very first wisps of smoke in the pasture where the draft horses were grazing, I took off running and he started calling 911 and our neighbors.
The fire got to the forest and just took off, the draft horses were hard to catch with the flames racing towards us, my brother got there just in time to help me move them.
When I got back to the barn our dear neighbors were there waiting with two large trailers, all the sheep went into one and the horses into the other. There are no pictures of this, we had our hands full, and once loaded all were off to safety. When it came time to load Flo just too much was going on and I had to walk her out to safety.
When all settled down I heard 20 Fire Trucks and 60 Fire Fighters were involved, some said there were more. They were minutes from calling in an air tanker. What saved the day was the expert strategy the fire fighters employed, steering the fire toward a 100 year flood creek bed deep with sand. It was there they were able to get the fire under control.
I wish I could give my words more meaning but am left with simply saying a huge huge thank you to Western Douglas County Volunteer Fire Department, South Metro, Castle Rock, Parker and Larkspur Fire Departments, without your amazing work our story would not have ended on a happy note!
All are back home as I write safe and sound, we have our home when so many have lost theirs this summer... they are all in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you to our dear neighbors and your trailers... and the care you gave our animals!!
And thank you to the Western Douglas county Volunteer Fire Fighters who spent the night and the next day and night putting out hot spots and watching over us.
Boy were we lucky...
~Deb
*Last time in Barn Stories : Arthur
