Jaci Dawn

It was nice in Colorado Springs but everything was overshadowed by the fire.

It was growing by leaps and bounds al the while we were traveling. My last voice mail from Levi had evacuation numbers at 20,000, but the evening we drove into Colorado Springs, the fire was gaining momentum.

They eventually evacuated 36,000. We managed to drive in at the same time they were working on those last numbers. We couldn’t decide if the glow was from the sun beyond the smoke or flames. Either way, it was gut-wrenching to think of all the people and homes going up in smoke.

Ashes the size of Murphy’s paws fell into Levi’s backyard. We looked at those and thought of the house they must have come from and the asphalt shingles gone up in flames.

The smoke curled into the sky. The C-130’s flew overhead. You could taste it in the air.

In the end, it was just “stuff”. Belongings can be replaced. Memories are in the mind. You felt for the people, worried about the livestock and pets, and reflected on what you would do under the same circumstances.

Levi said several times, “It’s just STUFF.” Or something close to that. You have your life, let the rest go.

When we were waiting for the train at Pike’s Peak Cog Railway, I spoke with a woman working in the smaller gift shop, on the upper level. She told me that many of the Cog RR employees were also evacuees. She also told me that she had a friend who lived in the evacuation area but she had not been able to locate her friend. She’d heard that one person had been found dead, and she hoped it was not her friend.

I hoped so, too.

In the end, 346 home burned. 2 people died. 36,000 were evacuated. 29 square miles burned. Reverse 9-1-1 did not work as well as “it should have” but Colorado Springs certainly did work as well as it should have.

I can only imagine the nightmare of evacuating 36,000 people anywhere within the Portland metro area. We couldn’t do it. It would be mayhem, rioting, anger.

Colorado Springs maintained their sense of humor. They had minor traffic glitches (ha! It was like my DAILY commute). They lost two people. They herded cattle through downtown to safety.

The President of the United States came to speak while we were out sight-seeing. Kaci kept trying to find a video of his speech online. In the end, it was the same as every other past president in the face of a crisis: a day late and a dollar short. He impressed no one. He did appear “ready to work” in his rolled-up sleeves and casual white-collar look (thank you Michelle Obama for dressing your husband), but I don’t know if anyone really bought it. We didn’t.

But there have been very very few presidents who could step up to the plate in the time of crisis while looking like they are a part of the working class. I do not disparage him because of who he is but because of the office he holds. Just for once it would be nice to see a president cry. Or see a president covered in the ashes of the aftermath, working to remedy to situation. A president in a little white face mask pulling off lath from homes buried in the floods of Lake Pontchartrain. A president buried in the ash from Mount Saint Helens.

Our rig looked like we had driven through the ask of Mt. St. Helens.

Colorado Springs: we hope for your recovery and we pray for your people. I was amazed at the spirit and resilience of your people.