'Community Has Been Amazing': Marshall Fire 1 Week Later Means A Temporary Life For Some
SUPERIOR, Colo. (CBS4)- One week after the Marshall Fire, there are hundreds of people dealing with the harsh reality of living day-by-day. Some are at hotels and others staying with friends. And there are the people who are helping those who need it most.
Catherine Mechler was sorting things between cars.
"We have the smoky car that went through the burn zone and we have the clean car. Now we are getting ready to make sure all of the smoky stuff is still in the smoky car."
It was cold out, in the single digits Thursday night.
"In my pajamas in this weather," she laughed. But still felt fortunate. "We got a house, we're very lucky. So we've got a rental and we move into that this weekend. And they'll take two dogs and a cat. So life is good."
RELATED: Resources For Marshall Fire Victims
It's a reappraisal of what's important a week after the Marshall Fire. Their home in Louisville survived, but not well.
"Our house was damaged to fight the fire so we're not going to be able to be in it for a year or two."
Among the things she sorted was donations.
"This community has, like, been amazing," she said. "Everyone is posting, 'What do people need and what can we give?'"
A dozen or so miles north in Longmont, Colorado Horse Rescue was asking what more can they do?
"People may find themselves in the situation where they can't care for their horse or feel like it's probably best that their horses are re-homed and we are that place," said executive director Katherine Gregory.
They were part of the string of vehicles pulling horse trailers that rolled out the night of the fire, looking for animals to rescue. Some were turned loose as the fire rapidly approached. Getting a nervous horse in a trailer can take hours.
The horses that ended up there have all been returned to their homes. People showed up right away with hay and help to donate.
"If people need immediate access to hay if their hay barns have burned or they have been displaced and need to bring hay to their horses, we have hay here ready for pickup."
And more, "For those that had barns on their property we absolutely have resources and community support that we can reach out to an rebuild. Fencing barns, things like that."
It's the spirit of the aftermath. With well over $10 million donated to relief efforts so far, the need is going to be far greater. But the way Colorado has already reached out is helping people meet initial needs and deal with changed lives.
"So we're just in this weird in-between but we'll go from there," said Catherine Mechler.
LINK: Colorado Horse Rescue
