Jamie’s Story
Story and photos by Walt Palmer, Volunteer/Public Affairs
Colorado Springs, CO, Wednesday, April 18, 2018, 7 P.M.
Registering at the Red Cross shelter in Fountain, CO
It was Tuesday and Jamie Brady-Maxwell was running a few errands in town. Town is Fountain, Colorado, about a 45-minute drive from Jamie’s home. She was in a store when she received an emergency text alert warning her to prepare for possible evacuation. Well, it WAS windy, and there WAS a wildfire in the general area, so of course she called home and asked her husband to start packing things so that they could be ready if the situation escalated. Should she call her mother to see if they could stay with her for a while?
As she was finishing up and starting to head out, another text hit her phone “Immediate evacuation! Leave now!” Jamie had the car – her husband was trapped at home 45 minutes away. And that was WITHOUT roadblocks and traffic chaos.
Helping an evacuee of the 117 fire, CO
He immediately began the emergency packing of essentials while Jamie tried to find a way home. Cats were into crates for throwing in the car, dogs were with Jamie (at least they are safe). Emergency clothes, forget the medications (as is so common when you are running from a fire). Jamie could not get back to the house, so he hailed down a neighbor as they drove past, but the fire was coming so fast that he was forced to jump into the car leaving the cats crated with a wildfire bearing down on their home.
It was a long vigil through the night at mom’s house. The next morning word came that they could return to their neighborhood. They found several neighbors had lost everything. “I mean, like it was never there!” Jamie told me, describing the house and barn of a nearby neighbor that had been consumed by the wildfire pushed by 40-60mph winds.
Red Cross shelters offer comfort care items.
They met friends at the Red Cross shelter. They knew there would be coffee, water, and safety. The journey back to the neighborhood was uneventful and the house was intact, while surrounded by other homes that were completely burned. The cats were angry, but alive.
I met Jamie when she returned to the Red Cross shelter. She was greeted with warm hugs and great relief. As we talked, I noticed the mixture of emotions flashing across her face. She had experienced the tension of the tragedy and the relief of her luck along with the emotional exhaustion of it all. I thought I saw a hint of thankfulness as Jamie told me that her mother-in-Law, Anne Maxwell, is a Red Cross volunteer in California.
The Red Cross shelter was there as a calm rock in the middle of the storm. It served as a place to gather one’s senses, meet family and friends, get information, and connect with resources. And the Red Cross will continue to be there as everyone starts to make plans for recovery and to help the community be better prepared for the next emergency.
You can be part of this amazing network of neighbors helping neighbors. Our local American Red Cross is in need of shelter workers in response to this season’s unusually dry weather conditions. Go to Redcross.org to become a part of our team. For tips on how to prepare for an evacuation go to http://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/make-a-plan.