DEVIL MOUNTAIN CHRONICLES: The Oak Fire was a Wake-up Call

Fire doesn’t discriminate; it can destroy everything you hold dear.

I’ve often said that I’m not afraid of mountain lions, bears, blizzards, black ice, or any other high-altitude dangers – except fire! We don’t worry about floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, mud slides or tsunamis.  Nope.  Fire is number one on the list (unless you count all the insane drivers out on Highway 160).

Sunday, August 10, 2025, is a date that will live in infamy. At least out here in Aspen Springs: a place known for its free spirits . . .  some, a little too free.

In the early afternoon, on that windy Sunday, Jayebird and I came down off our hill on our way to town. We rounded a corner and suddenly, there it was! A terrifying sight for any mountain mortal to behold. A large, sinister plume of muti-colored smoke wafting upward like an angry specter.

We neared what would be the epicenter. Emergency vehicles and personnel were gathering north of US 160 at Oak Drive. We could make out flames amidst the smoke and towering Ponderosas, and knew right away that this was going to be a major conflagration.

On our way into town, we must have pulled over three times to make way for fire trucks speeding toward Aspen Springs. In a short while, our mission complete, we walked out of Walmart and immediately choked on the acrid air. By 11:00am we were on our way home. To the west, the heavy smoke was heading toward Pagosa. And now there were two giant tanker jets dropping retardant on the stubborn blaze. The horrible reality of the situation was sinking in.

At the intersection of 160 and 0ak Drive personnel were directing traffic. Now the areas on both sides of the highway were crammed packed with vehicles and hustling fire fighters. We were directed through the clogged melee and headed west, then cut back to our home upon the hill. We pulled onto our property and were welcomed by a roaring, low-flying jet banking overhead.

For the next several hours I called friends for information while watching this fantastical, private air show – the whole thing seeming more surreal by the minute. Two huge choppers towing big water buckets on long cables thundered their way to the drop zone. I surmised that the smaller jet, circling higher than the other crafts, was the eye-in-the-sky directing air traffic. Other twin engine prop planes guided the tankers. A few hours later, three additional tankers entered the fray. That’s five huge aircraft circling for hours and hours.

You have to understand that I observed this whole spectacle in the solace of my own front yard. We were on pre-evacuation alert, and uptight to say the least. Luckily for us, the wind was blowing favorably. (Later I was told that the wind was to shift in the middle of the night, putting us in danger. Of course, I was up half the night but, thank goodness, the wind never changed direction.)

All the while, I imagined the carnage this wildfire was inflicting on our neighbors: the destruction of people’s homes and property, the forest, and what about the pets? And the thought of someone perishing in this catastrophe was always a concern. A few hours later, Governor Polis declared the area an emergency and authorized the use of the Colorado National Guard if needed.

Someone informed me that the fire had been started by an idiot burning trash in a 55-gallon drum. We were in a no-burn restriction and, of course, the guy did not have a burn permit. Not to mention that we were experiencing strong winds. Later, I read on Nextdoor that several locals were standing up for this dimwit! They claimed it was his right to burn on his own property, that restrictions, regulations and burn permits were – I suppose –unconstitutional. Yeah, you have rights, but not the right to burn down the whole neighborhood out of sheer stupidity.

“Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins.”

I have a neighbor down our road who, just last week, was burning in yet another 55-gallon drum. It was in the evening and someone must have spotted the flames and called the fire department. Fire personnel promptly showed up and cited her with a $600 fine. Well, hell yeah! She didn’t have a burn permit and literally paid the consequences. And the wind was blowing in our direction!

My friends, this is a wake-up call. And it’s not only wildfires; it’s about climate change and those who deny that it exists. Thank God the Oak Fire is out and no one was injured (that I know of), but there will be more fires. It’s as dry as hell. I’ve only cut my lawn once this season, and the San Juan and Piedra rivers are near the lowest levels ever.

I have been fire mitigating our property for years now, and still need to mitigate down the hill. (Fire loves hills!) I even forbade my brother from smoking in our shop. But there’s only so much one can do; it takes the whole community, hand in hand, to make a difference. Everyone needs to exercise great caution, clean up their property and vote for people who respect our precious environment. (You won’t know you need FEMA, until it’s too late.)

I’m thankful that we survived the Oak Fire, and we are thinking of our neighbors who lost so much. It was quite a scare.

Lesson learned: Sometimes in life, survival depends upon something so simple as which way the wind blows.