“Thank You, Firefighters”

The fire line cut above our area saved the cabins in Pinehaven. Courageous firefighters stood their ground here, like soldiers sent into battle.

After forced evacuation on Friday June 29, returning to our cabin on Tuesday July 10, we found everything as we had left it . . . piles of raked pine needles in the driveway, flowers I had planted in window boxes and planters on the deck, and even the garden gloves dropped on the ground once the decision was made to pack and leave.

Along the Highway 12 route from La Veta to Cuchara we saw fire damage that made us shudder. Flames had eaten to the edge of the road in several places. Beyond lay charred fields and mountaintops, burned trees silhouetted against the skyline.

Firefighters saved this beautiful valley!

A hike up CR401 this morning, the valley below looked postcard picture perfect.

First Signs of Battle

Huge equipment mowed down trees. Piles of freshly cut branches attest to firefighters efforts to take away fuel from the fire.

Near the top of the mountain shows evidence of backfires lit to stop the fire from running down the hill, overtaking the whole Cuchara Valley.

The fire had moved south from Raspberry Mountain, marching toward Pinehaven.

As I surveyed this scene, it dawned on me that if firefighters had not won the battle here, the rest of Pinehaven would have looked like this.

Here’s to next year’s Cuchara 4th of July Parade!

Well, there you go.