Help The Lind's from MN - Toxic Marshall Fire CO

Hello - We are long time friends of Steve Lind and Kimberly Daby Lind.  The Lind family, all Native Minnesotans, lost their home in Louisville, CO 80027 and all of their personal belongings as the result of the Marshall Fire of Boulder County Colorado on December 30, 2021.  The Federal Government declared a major disaster existed for the area of Colorado, as over 6,000 acres burned, on January 01, 2022. 

We have created this GoFundMe to help and support the Lind family in replacing essential needs.  While the Lind family home stands surreally among the homes burned to the ground, it has been deemed toxic and uninhabitable.  To add to the disbelief and shock of losing their home, their insurance company is not acknowledging their neighborhood has been deemed toxic and carcinogenic by FEMA, and  their insurance company told Kim to open her windows to air out the house!  They are in complete limbo with no relief in sight. 

Steve, Kim, their children Zoe & Gavin, their dog Sukha, and Kim's parents (that were also temporarily staying with them,) have all been permanently displaced. 

Kim received the emergency mandatory evacuation notice with minutes to spare.  They evacuated their home with merely the clothes on their backs and whatever they could frantically grab on their way out the door, amidst the 100+ mph winds pushing them over while the earlier sunny daytime sky darkened intensely as ash and soot continued to engulf them.  The absolute heart wrenching terror and the weight of their uncertain future sat with each of them as they sat in their individual vehicles in stalled traffic trying to get out of the neighborhood, and while they heard the repeated sound of explosions coming from the West, the direction the fires and ash and smoke were coming from. 

The fire completely destroyed the neighborhood leaving only a few houses standing.  The Lind home is sandwiched between destruction and decimation of the burned homes on their street. These solitary homes left standing have just been deemed a toxic wasteland inside and out, with no items salvageable. Everything, including every household item, furnishings, clothing, personal keepsakes, family heirlooms. etc., have been destroyed by the ash, soot, toxic VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and heavy metal contaminants from the burning and debris surrounding their neighborhood. The ash and contaminants landing on everything they own and permeating all soft and hard surfaces.  The inside of the house smells like a chemical factory and the water to the neighborhood cannot be turned back on at this point. The Lind's, like so many members of their neighborhood, are left to start completely over, while having to try to get their insurance carrier to understand the magnitude of the situation.   

Gavin is a Senior at Monarch High School in Louisville, CO and is hoping to gain some stability when the family figures out where they can live next and get some household items.  He hopes to focus on finishing out the coursework of school, online gaming with friends, being a lifeguard at the Rec Center, and playing Ultimate Frisbee before graduation.  Steve and Kim, like most parents, want to create some stability for their family as soon as possible.

All photos, but the aerial, were quickly taken by Kim showing her neighborhood before and after the fire.

The Lind family has insurance; however, as if the charred remains of the toxic environment their neighborhood isn't enough; they are having to substantiate to their insurance company what FEMA has designated as uninhabitable.  They now worry about how long it will take and if they will be able to receive any financial relief from their claim.  Additionally, the Boulder County Wildfire Fund has a $3.8 million fund that has gone to 1,400 people and families directly impacted by the Marshall fire; but because their house still stands(not listed as Damaged or Destroyed) they do not meet the criteria to access any funds to help bridge them until they can work through their own insurance. 

Any support is appreciated for this amazing family. All gifts will go directly to Kimberly Daby Lind's bank account and will be used for the their everyday life and living essentials. 

If you prefer, donations can be made directly to Kim's Venmo @KimberlyDabyLind or Steve's Venmo @Steve-Lind-5.

God Bless all who have been affected by the Marshall Colorado fire and who have endured such horrible loss.
Thank you for your help!

*Neighborhood aerial photo below of their neighborhood and street the morning after the fire--The Lind family home is not visible; but it is located near the bottom yellow arrow.