The Colorado Wildfire, and the Sense of Community

One thing that is always puzzling about these fires is why people live in the mountains. They will tell you that it feels closer to nature. And they get something rare in our world - privacy.

There is still a sense of community, perhaps reinforced by remoteness. One woman forced to leave her house Wednesday morning said that community was what kept her in the neighborhood - friends who shared or come together in times like this.

Which may explain the people who lose all in these terrible fires and start over again in the same location. They understand evacuation, fire danger, and the chances that their home will disappear - as one family's did in this fire - with five minutes notice to flee.

But they love it when nature is kind, then they rebuild.