Fort Collins Fire 8/24/19
Early Saturday morning the unthinkable happened in my neighborhood. A fire broke out down the street claiming two lives. When we see news like this on TV or when there is no personal connection to the victims we may feel sorrow or horrorified by the situation, but when you are connected to the family, and especially when your children are friends with the victims...that brings it to a whole new level.
Just before 6am Saturday morning I received a text simply stating there had been a fire and “my grandpa and brother (19) didn’t make it out.” I jumped out of bed and stumbled out the door and found the end of the road blocked off by emergency personnel. Flames were no longer visible but the house sat smoldering for hours.
Thankfully all were not lost. The aunt and my boys’ friend made it out along with one of their dogs. The second dog was found hours later, alive, hiding in a crawl space. There was no time to grab anything. All they could do is stand there helplessly as the fire destroyed their home and two innocent lives.
There were heros present that day. The 18 year olds quick thinking got emergency personnel activated and on the way within minutes. The aunt helped to avoid further disaster which could have caused the fire to spread to other houses in the neighborhood by turning off the oxygen tank used to assist the grandpa. She sustained burns as the efforts to save the grandfather, her brother, failed. The brave 19 year old made the choice to go back and try to rescue his grandfather...he died in the attempt.
Please consider making a donation to help them slowly rebuild their lives.
https://www.denverpost.com/2019/08/24/fort-collins-house-fire-deaths/
Just before 6am Saturday morning I received a text simply stating there had been a fire and “my grandpa and brother (19) didn’t make it out.” I jumped out of bed and stumbled out the door and found the end of the road blocked off by emergency personnel. Flames were no longer visible but the house sat smoldering for hours.
Thankfully all were not lost. The aunt and my boys’ friend made it out along with one of their dogs. The second dog was found hours later, alive, hiding in a crawl space. There was no time to grab anything. All they could do is stand there helplessly as the fire destroyed their home and two innocent lives.
There were heros present that day. The 18 year olds quick thinking got emergency personnel activated and on the way within minutes. The aunt helped to avoid further disaster which could have caused the fire to spread to other houses in the neighborhood by turning off the oxygen tank used to assist the grandpa. She sustained burns as the efforts to save the grandfather, her brother, failed. The brave 19 year old made the choice to go back and try to rescue his grandfather...he died in the attempt.
Please consider making a donation to help them slowly rebuild their lives.
https://www.denverpost.com/2019/08/24/fort-collins-house-fire-deaths/
Organizer and beneficiary
Patti Bennett
Beneficiary