LAFAYETTE, Colo. (KDVR) — The YMCA of Nothern Colorado in Lafayette has had volunteers from both the Salvation Army and Red Cross helping those displaced from the Marshall Fire in Boulder County.
The Red Cross organizers told FOX31 there were an estimated 140 people staying there during the peak of the evacuations Thursday night.
“We are heartbroken. We lost everything,” Brian Mata, whose home was burned to the studs during the fires said.
The YMCA location allows pets to come and stay as well. Even if you don’t need to stay overnight, organizers are allowing people to drop pets off to be taken care of. People can also visit for a warm meal and basic necessities.
Volunteers are also handing out portable heaters to those who need them.
“The night before last I was in my home doing my regular routine. Then last night, just like others, everything just changed,” Tim, one of the evacuees, said.
Tim has been at the YMCA shelter since he evacuated his home on Thursday. He said she still doesn’t know the status of his home but he is trying to remain positive.
“This is the biggest thing I’ve ever been through,” he said.
Another evacuee, Robert Haven, owns two homes in the Boulder County area and learned Friday that his townhome was burned down.
“We heard from neighbors they burned to the ground,” Haven said.
After FOX31 and Channel 2 shared a video recently taken of the Coal Creek Ranch neighborhood, he realized his second home was still standing.