Pine Gulch Fires

Norah Sechrist, Reporter

The Pine Gulch Fire was such a big and unexpected event that just took place in our lives. It was such a shock to everyone, and it impacted so many people in many ways. The Pine Gulch Fire was started by a lightning strike and was first reported on July 31, 2020. The fire spread so quickly that it got to the point where it was the biggest fire ever in Colorado history. The fire spread so rapidly due to the hot weather and all of the trees and dry grass. The firefighters could only get to it by foot which made it  very difficult to fight. The firefighters did have the help of helicopters and planes dumping water on it, which made it easier, but it was still very hard to try and stop.. All they could do was try and keep the fire contained as much as they could. The Pine Gulch fire was definitely very scary for most people. Many people in that area lost their homes because of the fire. It impacted people so much. Animals were in danger because of the fire too. The fire began burning northwards onto Horse Mountain and quickly  spread. Steve Harrington, a friend of a firefighter, said, “It’s just crazy to me because I have stood in that same place the fire is burning and just to imagine what it looks like now is very disturbing.” 

The Pine Gulch Fire got to the point where  the air quality was so bad and you couldn’t see the mountains anymore. Practices for sports got cancelled because of all the smoke from the fire, walking out to your car during the day and it being covered in ash, walking outside at night and seeing the flames on top of the mountain. Many families got evacuated because the fire was dangerously close to their home. The Pine Gulch Fire grew 11,834 acres overnight.

In conclusion, the Pine Gulch Fire had a very big impact on many people’s lives and it was a very hard time for many people. We should all be thankful for the firefighters that fought for the safety of those many people that were affected by it.