How to help victims of Colorado wildfires
Homes and structures lost. Families need help.
The 2020 wildfire season has been one of the worst in Colorado history. The three largest wildfires in state history have all occurred this year. The Cameron Peak Fire is the largest, followed by the East Troublesome Fire.
The arrival of winter weather on Saturday, October 25 helped slow the spread of the active fires, but many people were forced to evacuate and there are some reports that say as many as 400 homes burned in the East Troublesome Fire.
Here's a list of places to go to donate for those in need. In Colorado, we always show up for each other in good times and bad.
General donation page for all victims:
WILDFIRE HELP: Financial donations are the best way to support people impacted by these wildfires. It allows for flexible and immediate support to each individual’s needs.
— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) October 22, 2020
You can donate at https://t.co/0SuERt0Lt6 pic.twitter.com/ksp5cVMhdU
Colorado Responds is an organization that helps Coloradans after disasters like wildfires, floods, and even COVID-19: https://www.coloradoresponds.org
The American Red Cross has a donation page set up as well. People can also sign up to volunteer on the Red Cross website here.
Finally, you can sign up for emergency alerts in your county by following this link.
Help for Larimer County:
Larimer County has been affected by both the Cameron Peak Fire and the East Troublesome fire. The latter burned many parts of Rocky Mountain National Park and encroached upon Estes Park, prompting evacuations. At least two people have died in the East Troublesome Fire.
The United Way of Larimer County set up a fire response fund for monetary donations: https://impact.uwaylc.org/comm/SinglePageRegPledge.jsp
You can also donate by texting “LarimerUnited” to 41444.
Help for Grand County:
The East Troublesome Fire has burned over 190,000 acres. It has devastated parts of Grand Lake. To help residents in that area, you can donate to the Grand County Wildfire Emergency Fund:
People can also donate clothing and non-perishable food to the Church of Eternal Hills, which is collecting the items for people in need. The drop-off location is at Fraser Valley Elementary. More information is available here.
Help for Boulder County:
Boulder County has been affected by two fires: The Calwood Fire and The Lefthand Canyon Fire.
Below are two links for donations to help residents of Boulder County.
https://www.commfound.org/2020firesfund https://bouldercounty.wufoo.com/forms/donations
Who to Follow:
Here are some pages to follow in you want to stay up to date on the latest evacuations, closures, and ways to give:
- East Troublesome Fire Facebook Page
- Text the word TFIRE to 888777 to receive text message alerts regarding the area of Larimer County impacted by the East Troublesome Fire.
- Cameron Peak Fire Facebook Page
- Text the word LCEVAC to 888777 to receive text message alerts about the Cameron Peak Fire.
- Grand County Emergency Management
- Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority
- National Weather Service Denver/Boulder
- Town of Estes Park