COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.
Blackness billowed into the sky from smoke and ash on Tuesday, June 26 — the fourth day of the Waldo Canyon Fire — as 65 mph winds transformed a summer wildfire into an unpredictable beast that, within a few hours, quickly devoured a total of 347 structures and left two people dead.
This historic fire affected members of the Church with six homes of LDS families burned to the ground in the Mountain Shadows subdivision and a total of 161 LDS families relocated in a mandatory evacuation. Some 32,000 citizens were evacuated in Colorado Springs during the course of the fire that, as of July 11, was 100 percent contained, less than three weeks after it started.
"When I saw just how dark the sky was, I thought, 'My goodness, this is horrific,'" said Kevin Woodward, president of the Colorado Springs Colorado North Stake on Tuesday, June 26. "Our first concern was certainly the needs of the members on the west side of I-25."
On June 26, the fire took a turn for the worst; President Woodward sent a list of more than 100 families to the coordinating centers — set up in the Broadmoor LDS meetinghouse on the south end of town and Melissa meetinghouse in a central part of town — to offer shelter to evacuated families. Of the 161 LDS families evacuated, 75 to 80 percent stayed in members' homes in the Colorado Springs Stake or within other stakes' boundaries.
The fire affected three wards in the Colorado Springs stake, where seven different stake presidents contacted Colorado Springs Colorado Stake President Mark McConkie offering their help and assistance in any way they could.
"The members had a real showing of love and concern for one another," said President McConkie. Many of the evacuated members had already made arrangements for housing with friends or relatives and the concern was mostly for the elderly, disadvantaged and the full-time missionaries, he said. "Overall, it was a pretty sound transition."
But the loss was, indeed, great for many families.
The McOmber family, members in the Mountain Shadows Ward of the Colorado Springs Stake lost their home of 24 years to the fire. At first they weren't concerned about the fire because it was located three canyons away from their home, but when the neighborhood was put on pre-evacuation notice on Saturday, June 23, they packed a few bags and put a plastic tub full of pictures and copies of their patriarchal blessings by the door.
"It's voluntary, it's no big deal," said Emily McOmber Welch, who was living with her parents, LeGrand and Debbie McOmber, at the time with her four small children.
Around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 26, Brother McOmber saw that the fire had come down over the ridge about 200 feet. He actually saw homes begin to burn. "The wind was so hot you could not stand it," he said. "It was a true firestorm."
Police cars had windows blown out and policemen were going up and down the street getting people out of their homes. Brother McOmber quickly threw items into his truck and headed toward his son's home on the east side of town. Sister McOmber had promised a neighbor to get their safe out of their home and was the last one off their street. She made it out safely and met up with her husband at her son's home.
"We are very grateful for the Colorado Springs policemen and firefighters, they were very brave," said Sister McOmber.
The McOmber family found out the next day that their home was destroyed. They are now waiting on their insurance company to decide whether to rebuild or not.
"What does the Lord want me to learn from this?" said Brother McOmber. "I don't know yet; I'm still rolling it around in my mind."
"You think the worst and hope for the best, but I lost it completely," Sister McOmber said. She still wakes up at 4 in the morning thinking of items she forgot to bring with her. Mission scrapbooks and charts, personal journals, beloved pieces of furniture and Nativity scenes she had collected for 40 years. "That's one of the things I enjoyed so much, for sentimental reasons," she said.
Brother McOmber misses a large picture from his mother and some BYU memorabilia that was collected for his son. "[But] we're grateful our family is safe," he said.
The McOmbers have received approximately 30 phone calls from friends and family. Sister Welch said that there has easily been more that $2,000 donated in cash, gift cards and clothing. "To me, it's just overwhelming to think what has been done for us," she said, adding that she has learned that when you have a tragedy the world still moves on and now she can empathize with those people who are still hurting weeks later.
"With all that people have done for us, that is a reason to be grateful," said Sister McOmber.
Rain showers sprinkled from July 4 through July 9, helping firefighters to gain full containment on the Waldo Canyon Fire. Evacuations have been lifted and families are able to return to their homes.
"Over the past few days we have been blessed with rain," President Woodward said on July 9 in an email. "During the past two days, the rain has been extremely heavy."
Though the rain has been a great blessing, residents of Colorado Springs are now watching for flooding and mudslides as a result of the combination of burned terrain and heavy rains.
"City, state and federal agencies have been very responsive to those who have been affected," President Woodward said July 9.
