EL PASO COUNTY — It was a close call for homeowners near the Meridian Fire in El Paso County this week.
Thanks to the fast work of firefighters, no homes were lost. Friday, we learned that neighbors also worked together to protect one another’s homes.
Emily Green was at home Thursday when the wind-fueled Meridian Fire started burning. She says she saw it from her kitchen window and immediately jumped into action.
“I told my friends, ‘I’m going to fight the fire if you want to come with me,’ and ran out here and started grabbing shovels. I ran by the skid steer and thought, ‘Oh, I’m taking that,’” said Green.
Green went to work, using her skid steer to try to build a fire line. She says neighbors quickly showed up to help.
“My neighbor over the hill had his tractor out, and then one of the guys who rents from me jumped in the backhoe, got it started, and was headed down there,” she said.
Green says she and her neighbors were determined to protect every home threatened by the fire.
“These are air-filled tires, so they’re not full rubber like some skid steers. If I got one of these too hot, it could blow, and then I’d be stuck,” Green explained.
Michelle Reyes: “Risking yourself?”
Green: “Risking myself, risking my machine, but it’s for the neighbors. You got to do it.”
Mathew Alvarado lives nearby. He says the fire just missed his street.
He wasn’t home when the fire started and wasn’t sure what he would find when he returned.
“I was thinking about getting in touch with people, like, ‘Who can I stay with in case it’s burned down?’” said Alvarado.
When the evacuations were lifted, Alvarado was relieved to find his home still standing, but the experience shifted his priorities.
“It’s sobering. It makes you really think about your priorities, and the things that really bothered you two seconds ago are not even a problem anymore,” he said.
Green and Alvarado both emphasized the importance of being prepared for emergencies and expressed gratitude towards the firefighters.
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