I had just finished a workout when I heard there was a ripper down in Colorado. I thought, “probably a 100-acre bomb that’s getting blown out of proportion by my jumper buddy….”
I started cleaning up the gym, pulled up local Colorado news, and quickly discovered, “oh damn” this thing is fucking RUNNING. Videos of Costco's getting evacuated as Christmas shoppers returned presents from in-laws that didn’t quite make the cut. It was absolute chaos. 100MPH winds whipped through the asphalt prairie while mothers carried children, and grown men stood in awe of the darkness before them. Plastic bags mixed with parking lot masks juked alongside ember wash as the silence of onlookers was ever-present.
Another vid of a trust fund kid a in BMW flipping a U on the highway as the flames rolled over his M3. “Holy fuck do you see that… do you see that?!?!?” As I made my way to the locker room, I thought, “ya dude, I fucking see that… and I don’t believe it.” I checked the date. December 30th… what?
Then I was sent the video of entire neighborhoods getting rolled over. At that moment, I realized this was going to be really bad. I knew this was the time of year that only a small handful of full-time wildfire staff would be available. In Boulder County, there were five… yes… five. In January, seasonal hiring goes into overdrive, so the last week of December is when district offices, Hotshot offices, Engine Bays, and DNR stations are as empty as a seasonal’s bank account in April.
It’s fair to say The Marshall Fire caught everyone off guard. In Colorado, Sherriff’s offices hold jurisdiction over wildfire coordination. This can murk the waters further if not run smoothly by a dialed-in S.O.B. As I changed back into CIVI’s, I reflected on how I did not envy the LEO trying to direct this fast-evolving shit show. If you have never taken on this role, I can tell you it’s like riding a tornado on coke while trying to catch a beehive without your epi-pen. It’s a rush.
As I walked to my car
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