Last year I truly thought Colorado Springs was going to burn to the ground. All of it.
That was during the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire, and even though our city didn’t come close to burning down completely, I’ve since felt differently about rain and hot days and dry lightening. Liam was only one month old during last summer’s fires, so we took shelter in the Midwest for a week—although we weathered the worst of it in a 90 degree house with no air conditioning and closed windows to avoid the smoke.
Tragically, another fire burned the northern part of our city this summer, taking with it much of the lovely Black Forest area. While I only knew one family who lost their home in the Waldo Canyon Fire, this year it hit closer to home, as at least four of my previous students’ homes were burned, plus one of a colleague. This year, though, we were on family vacation during the exact time that the fire took place, so we missed it all. I couldn’t even bring myself to pay attention to the news this time, as it becomes so consuming. Thankfully, only four lives have been lost in these fires total.
In spite of all the devastation, our community has pulled together in some awesome ways. We were able to attend an outdoor symphony featuring the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and the Flying W Ranch Wranglers (who lost their entire property to the Waldo fire last year). You can see the burnt trees silhouetted in the photos below.
It was a lovely evening celebrating the spirit of a community rebuilding from the ashes, literally.
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