JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A group gathered outside of Chatfield Senior High School Sunday night waiting for a special arrival.
"The gratitude runs deep," Lindsay Datko said.
Jefferson County families made it a point to thank the firefighters who have been working on the front lines of the Quarry Fire since Tuesday, as they pulled in the parking lot to switch out their shifts.
"I know that they're literally saving our families homes and our community. I know that their feet are torn up and bruised and full of blisters," Datko said.
Datko is with the community group JeffCo Kids First. She spearheaded the community-wide thank you event.
She said over the past 72 hours, the organization has donated $15,000 worth of supplies to the firefighters, which were waiting inside the high school for them to pick up upon arrival Sunday night.
"At 9 p.m. the word came and at 9:42, we had people at Walmart buying 50 sets of towels and soap and had it delivered for the firefighters to be able to shower," Datko said.
Nearly 20 agencies make up the 190 boots on the ground, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office news conference Sunday.
Those crews experienced some rain on the fire lines for the first time over the weekend.
"But after evaluation, it really had no effect on the fire one way or another," Mark Techmeyer with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said.
Still, containment is now up to 35%. The focus will be on a controlled burn on the west side in a steep area that hasn't been mitigated in a long time, explained Techmeyer.
If that goes well, it could open the door for more families to return home. Mandatory evacuations still remain in place for four neighborhoods.
In the meantime, Datko said the community will continue to show their support through donations and cheers.
"They are heroes and they're saving our community and our families livelihoods," Datko said.
