Tag: alexander mountain fire

Windsor church holds benefit to help victims of the Alexander Mountain Fire

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WINDSOR, Colo — Faith Church of Windsor was packed Saturday morning for a benefit to support the victims of the Alexander Mountain Fire. Forty vendors offered their support by selling various goods at the event.

The Faith Fall Fair featured a silent auction and vendors selling crafts, jewelry, arts, and home-baked goods. The proceeds from the event will go to the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado’s Disaster Recovery Fund. The Bank of Colorado will match the donations up to $10,000.

“I just have goose bump,” said Linda Burton, the event’s coordinator. “I knew that people would be giving and helpful, but I didn’t know that the word would spread so quickly.”

Burton said the event raised $800 just through the purchase of vendor spots. Additional funds were raised through various “tip boots” located throughout the venue, which were donated by firefighters who battled the Alexander Mountain Fire.

The fair comes on the heels of the release of court documents, which provided more details on the man who allegedly started the fire, Jason Hobby, who was an employee at the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch near Loveland.

Wildfire

Doc: Man suspected of sparking Alexander Mountain Fire wanted to be ‘the hero’

Those documents described what Hobby’s manager at the ranch told investigators, saying they were “concerned that Hobby created this incident to insert himself as the hero in the eyes of staff after his recent disciplinary work history.”

It’s unclear how Hobby allegedly started the fire.

The fire sparked on July 29 near Drake north of Highway 34 and burned 9,668 acres over about three weeks. More than 5,000 people evacuated, but no injuries were reported. However, the fire destroyed about 29 homes and 21 outbuildings and damaged four additional homes.

Officials estimated the cost of the firefight at $11 million, while the fire damage was estimated to be more than $30 million.

“I just feel sorrow,” said Burton. “Sorrow for his situation, that he needs to find his place in the world.”

Windsor church holds benefit to help victims of the Alexander Mountain Fire

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September 28, 2024
Crews bring Alexander Mountain Fire in Larimer County to near full containment

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LOVELAND, Colo. — Crews working the 9,668-acre Alexander Mountain Fire in Larimer County have nearly reached full containment more than two weeks after the destructive blaze started.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, the fire was 94% contained as of Tuesday, and the last evacuation orders were lifted on Monday.

The Alexander Fire was first reported at around 10:38 a.m. on July 29 near the community of Drake. It forced the evacuations of more than 5,000 people in the area and destroyed 26 homes and 21 outbuildings. No injuries were reported.

The fire was one of several that blew up that week. The next day, a wildfire—the Stone Canyon Fire—erupted in neighboring Boulder County, destroying five homes and killing one person.

Forest officials determined that the fire on Alexander Mountain was human-caused. However, they are still investigating how it sparked and are seeking possible witnesses who were near the mountain’s peak in the late morning hours of July 29.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office opened a disaster assistance center on Friday, helping to connect residents affected by the fire to resources.

The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday at the Ranch Events Complex in Loveland. Residents can receive mental health services, food, and licensing information, and the Red Cross is providing gloves, masks, and trash bags to help clean up homes.

You can find more details here.

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August 13, 2024
Alexander Mountain Fire burns acres of Sylvan Dale Ranch, including site for suicide prevention nonprofit

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LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — As several evacuation orders were lifted in Larimer County Tuesday, those who live in the area of the Alexander Mountain Fire have just begun assessing the damage.

The burn scar can be seen from the historic Sylvan Dale Ranch, where an estimated 950 acres and several buildings were lost in the fire. The land that burned is managed by Silas Binkley, the director of programs and operations for the Heart-J Center.

“The Heart-J Center is a nonprofit that operates here at Sylvan Dale Ranch, on a 3,000-acre ranch. And the focus of what we do is place-based experiential programming for people of all ages, but at the heart of it is getting people outside, connecting them with nature, connecting them with themselves and their community,” Binkley explained.

Wildfire

Several more evacuation orders lifted in Alexander Mountain Fire

The Heart-J Center has operated from Sylvan Dale Ranch for the past decade. The family who owns Sylvan Dale Ranch plans to one day transfer the ranch to Heart-J Center management.

“Currently, they transferred almost 1,000 acres a few years ago of backcountry land to the Heart-J Center, which is the land that I manage. And that’s the land that has been lost in the fire this week,” Binkley said. “One of our goals is to not only rebuild as a retreat center, but also as a research hub so that local universities and colleges can do research here and learn about wildfire science and prevention and the regrowth processes and all those types of things.”

Most recently, Heart-J Center partnered with the Combat Recovery Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on effective suicide prevention efforts for veterans.

“I myself am a combat disabled veteran and have been impacted by the rate of suicide amongst veterans… We provide one-on-one peer support and coaching services to people who are struggling or in crisis,” said Marshall Spring, who founded the Combat Recovery Foundation. “My business partner in 2019 very unexpectedly shot himself, and so I sold my companies and started working in suicide prevention at that point.”

Spring served in the Marine Corps as an explosive detection dog handler and sustained brain injuries while in Iraq.

“It’s really difficult to adjust to a safe, normal, North American civilian life, after being in the Marine Corps and being in combat,” Spring said. “It took a long time for me to get to a place where I could trust people, be around people, and create friendships and relationships and just have normal interactions.”

Spring struggled with his mental health and said nature played a huge role in his journey. Combat Recovery Foundation hosts retreats for veterans at Sylvan Dale Ranch. Their next retreat was planned for September, but now they need a new location since the historic Cow Camp that would’ve held the group was burned in the fire.

“Our logo is a Phoenix. I think there’s a certain tragic poetry to the fact that our place we intended to use for retreats burnt and now we’re a part of watching that place and helping it to rise from the ashes better than it was,” said Spring.

The Combat Recovery Foundation organized a GoFundMe for the ranch, which states that money raised will go toward restoring the backcountry of Heart-J Center at Sylvan Dale Ranch.

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Colette Bordelon

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August 6, 2024
Woodshop burned by Alexander Mountain Fire: 72-year-old evacuee shares his story

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ESTES PARK, Colo. Father and daughter, Bill Harvey and Jennifer Harvey-Betz, lean on each other to get through the hurt and damage the Alexander Mountain Fire has caused.

The beauty of Drake brought Harvey to the area, and for the past three decades, he has lived through his fair share of unknowns with multiple fires and a flood. However, the Alexander Mountain Fire has left him with grief and sorrow.

Harvey’s neighbors, who stayed behind, informed him his house was still there but his woodshop was gone. Inside were his creations, along with all of his tools which he has had for decades.

“Probably 20 years. Every time I sell a table or something, I go buy another tool,” Harvey said.

His passion for woodworking started during his high school years. Now at 72 years old, he has not stopped creating for others. Harvey turned the barn on the property into his woodshop so he could have a space to create.

“I make anything from coffee tables, end tables, plant stands, bookshelves, cutting boards, boxes, just about anything I can think of, ” said Harvey.

While Harvey has worked away on many creations and perfected his woodworking skills, he has gifted several items to his daughter, including a TV stand, end tables and boxes for keepsakes.

“There are things that I will keep for my whole life. It will be what I remember him by one day, so they’re very special to me,” said Harvey-Betz.

Some residents were able to get back home on Monday to see the damage from the Alexander Mountain Fire, but Harvey did not have access yet to his property. Harvey’s daughter reflected on the challenging week and the grief she has for her father and his neighbors.

“It’s the shock of the whole thing, knowing that a lot of our neighbors lost everything,” Harevy-Betz said. “I grew up on that mountain, and we’re all family friends. We’re all a very tight-knit community. We’re a very strong community, and we are storm out and strong, and we will help each other build back after this, as we always do. And that’s it breaks my heart for everybody, no matter how big or small the loss was.”

If you are interested in supporting Bill Harvey, his daughter has created a GoFundMe online fundraiser.

“My dad is a Vietnam-era veteran who does have Agent Orange,” Harvey-Betz, said. “He’s been battling multiple cancers for a few years and going through cancer treatment, so this is kind of a hit for him. You know, those were very important things for him to keep himself occupied and busy and things to pass on at some point. We could use all the help we can get”

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Maggy Wolanske

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August 5, 2024
‘It’s tearing apart the mountain’: Family learns from community their home burned in Alexander Mountain Fire

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ESTES PARK, Colo. — Since the Alexander Mountain Fire sparked on Monday, it has exploded to more than 8,000 acres in size. On Thursday, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office estimated that “at least two dozen structures” have been damaged or destroyed in the fire.

Haley Shepard and her husband Jon bought their home in 2016. The two bedroom, two bathroom home is where their 3-year-old has lived his entire life.

Their home, described as beautiful, is exactly where the family wanted to be — along Palisade Mountain Drive near Drake.

‘It’s tearing apart the mountain’: Family learns from community their home burned in Alexander Mountain Fire

Haley gave birth to her young son Wade while the family was evacuated as a result of the Cameron Peak Fire.

“He was born in the Cameron Peak Fire, and we were evacuated when I was four days past due with him. We were out of our home for, I believe, a month. Had to drive up to deliver him in Estes,” Haley remembered. “Then got evacuated by the East Troublesome the next day, and then had to flee, like evacuate, down to Franktown, Colorado, at a family member’s farm to live there for a little bit.”

Wildfire

At least 24 structures damaged, destroyed in Alexander Mountain Fire

Then, on Monday, Haley was at the house with her son and dog while her husband Jon was on a work trip in Ohio. She received a phone call around noon which alerted her to the mandatory evacuation for Storm Mountain.

“Then proceeded to look up, look outside, and the plume above our house was stretching across… I don’t know how I didn’t even see it, just walking around in the kitchen,” Haley described. “I contacted our neighbor, Oliver, who is a volunteer on the local firefighting department, and he came over and was very kind and told me to leave immediately. Another neighbor who was, I believe, on the police department, came up, came over, and then from there we packed up quickly.”

Damen Winslow

In a state of shock, Haley first drove to Estes Park, then spent the night at a hotel in Longmont. She could see the fire from the valley.

Afterwards, she came up to Estes Park where her family is now staying with friends.

On Wednesday night, Haley said they got a call from friends who are working the fire, telling her about her home.

“It has been burnt to the ground. There is nothing left,” Haley said through tears. “They drove around. They saw our home. They made the call. I much prefer hearing from a community member… It helped to not feel uncertain, but there’s nothing there.”

The loss has devastated Haley and her family, but their pain is about more than just their home.

Michael Price

“Storm Mountain is one of the most tight-knit communities I will ever experience. I will forever lose that,” Haley said. “I’ve lost what is the best community in this whole entire world, and I’m very sad about that. That’s very sad to me, that we can no longer call that home… It’s not just our house. It’s tearing apart the mountain.”

Haley said the family does not know what’s next for them, but she hopes to rebuild their home in the place they love.

Family of the Shepards started a GoFundMe for the young family, which says it will support them as they try to “replace clothing, toys, furniture, food, income… everything for at least the next 6 months.”

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Colette Bordelon

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August 1, 2024
Some Alexander Mountain Fire evacuees pack up, others prepare to fight

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LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — As the Alexander Mountain Fire outside Loveland exploded in size Tuesday, so did the number of evacuees.

With smoke from the 5,000+ acre fire looming behind them, J.B. Hersh and his son Jason are in the mandatory evacuation zone but have no plans to evacuate their home of 73 years.

“We have a lot of work and a lot invested here,” said Hersh. “If it goes down, we go down.”

Inside the expanded evacuation area, many evacuees left their sprinklers running in the shadow of the smoke.

Meanwhile, law enforcement went door-to-door checking homes and leaving behind pink evacuation notice tape.

“That’s how you pack in a hurry — only the necessities,” said Linda Arndt, who was packing up her home with the help of her two young grandsons. “I’m anxious, you know, with the boys here. I’m kind of scared.”

Wildfire

Alexander Mountain Fire explodes to over 5,000 acres as evacuations expand

Nine-year-old Kaden Bonn, her older grandson, was taking the evacuation in stride.

“It’s a little bit stressful because I’ve never had to move so much stuff at one time or evacuate in general,” he said. “But I’m ready.”

It’s not the first time they’ve watched flames come too close to the home they hope will be standing when they return.

For the Hersh family, irrigation systems are the last line of defense to hold out until the last minute.

“We’re just hanging in, making the best of it. We’re not going to leave until it’s lapping at the door,” said Hersh.

As Alexander Mountain Fire grows, residents forced to make difficult choices

Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos

At Denver7, we’re committed to making a difference in our community. We’re standing up for what’s right by listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the featured videos in the playlist above.

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Jaclyn Allen

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July 30, 2024
Photos show magnitude of Alexander Mountain Fire burning west of Loveland
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A wildfire burning on Alexander Mountain, west of Loveland, had grown to nearly 350 acres as of Monday afternoon.

Mandatory and voluntary evacuations were in effect Tuesday. The latest information on the fire, including evacuation orders, can be found here.

The intrepid photographers in the Discover Colorado | Through Your Photos Facebook group captured some stunning images that show the fire’s magnitude. See some of them below.

Ed Schreiner

Jessica Payne Sun Photography

Taken from Boedecker Reservoir in Loveland.

Jessica Payne Sun Photography

Taken from Boedecker Reservoir in Loveland.
- WATCH: Timelapse video shows early growth of the Alexander Mountain Fire
Timelapse video shows early growth of Alexander Mountain Fire

Joshua Brommer

Joshua Brommer

Ed Schreiner

Jessica Payne Sun Photography

Taken from Boedecker Reservoir in Loveland.

Joshua Brommer

David Baxter III

Jessica Payne Sun Photography

Taken from Boedecker Reservoir in Loveland.

David Baxter III
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The Denver7 Team

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July 29, 2024