By Mariama FoFana, American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming Public Affairs
On December 30, 2021, Elizabeth Kupfner was traveling to Boulder from Superior for a blood work appointment when she realized how strong the wind was blowing. Concerned for her safety, she turned around and headed back home. However, noticing the wind was blowing hard going west, Elizabeth decided to take a detour and go south.
However, she noticed a smoke cloud getting heavier as she drove. The smoke became so thick that Elizabeth, and several other cars, eventually were forced to pull off the road because they could no longer see ahead. After waiting a while, she resumed her drive as several fire trucks sped past her.
“You could see the smoke in Marshall. That’s how thick it was,” Elizabeth said. “But I never thought it would get all the way to Superior and Louisville. I just thought they would get it out and everything will be okay.”
As Elizabeth arrived home and prepared to relax in front of her TV, she received a 911 reverse call, asking to evacuate the area immediately. After ending the call, she called her family members who lived in the area, some of whom were not registered to receive emergency alerts.
“I was also going to call my renter,” Elizabeth said. “But before I could dial her, she called me and said we have a fire behind our trailer where we live, and they were leaving immediately but wanted to make sure I knew.”
After knocking on a couple of neighbors’ doors to alert them, Elizabeth grabbed her purse and quickly drove away.
“The only thing I grabbed was my purse because I thought I’d be coming home after the smoke cleared,” she said. “I said I’d be coming back home in a couple of hours. I didn’t grab anything important to me.”
As Elizabeth reunited with the rest of her family in a safer area, they watched from far as the flames engulfed homes one after another.
“We could see the whole town of Superior burning,” she said. “I mean, you could really see it. The smoke and the fire, and we realized we weren’t gonna be going back home.”
In a few moments, Elizabeth lost the home she had owned since 1999, along with everything she worked for.
Memories. Antiques. Collectible items. All gone.
Every day, the American Red Cross sees the heartbreak of families and communities trying to cope with the effects of climate change. Record warmth and extreme drought, intensified by climate change, created ideal conditions for the devastating blaze, which was further fueled by violent winds gusting to more than 100 mph. Marshall Fire is the latest example of an extreme weather event prompting thousands of people to flee their homes and seek Red Cross support.
As part of the Marshall fire response, Red Cross volunteers have provided wildfire kits and coordinated recovery efforts after the fire.
Elizabeth, however, could not bring herself to go see what was left of her home after the fire.
“I called my niece, and she said, Aunt Betty, everything is gone. We don’t have anything left,” she said. “I just couldn’t go. I didn’t go back for several weeks because I just couldn’t handle it.”
Still, under stress caused by the loss of everything she owned, Elizabeth discovered a Red Cross disaster center in Lafayette and soon visited the center.
“They were all very nice, all friendly, very helpful and very good people,” she said. “They gave me a certificate to pay for my glasses and they gave me a gift card.”
As she works to rebuild her life, Elizabeth focuses on the positive aspects of the situation.
“I’m just very thankful that we got out where we weren’t hurt or wasn’t burnt and that more people didn’t pass away in the Marshall fire,” she said.
Wildfires affect everyone, but we can take action to prepare. To learn how to prepare your household and community in case of a wildfire, visit the wildfire safety page on the American Red Cross website.
