A neighbor of ours (2 miles away) decided that today (with 20-30 m.p.h. wind and gusts of wind) was an excellent day to burn one of his ditches.
Well, he got the ditch burnt that is for sure, and the neighbors farm and our farm.
Terry and I are just sick! Sick, sick, sick!
It took the Delta Fire Department, the Olathe Fire Department, the Cedaredge Fire Department and the Lands End Fire Department from Whitewater to put the fire out. (If you get out a map you will see how far some of them had to come to help)
The fire reached our place at 2:30 that afternoon with fire jumping and running over all of our pastures, hillsides and into the corn fields. THANK GOD!!! Terry had disked the ends of the corn or it would have ran right to our house.
The fire also ate it’s way right up to our kids’ barns and chicken house….we had to load up and move out all the goats, chickens, dogs and cats. One of the next door neighbors took Tally, the other kids were in school for part of the time.
The sheriff department had all three roads blocked off from traffic as the smoke was so thick seeing was next to impossible.
The rancher and his daughter and her boyfriend came up and rounded up the cows and calves to keep them out of harms way.
The fire was finally put down at 6:30 that evening. Terry’s equipment was saved, the buildings were saved and no animals lost their lives that we are aware of.
Terry and I are sick about the loss of the centuries old Chico and Sagebrush, the ancient cactus. What will happen now is the invasive weeds will take over.
Sigh,
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 