Update: Saturday, July 7, 2018 2 PM: The shelter at Cripple Creek is now closed. The Chateau fire is 95% contained, and this will be the last update. As part of the recovery process, please call 719-785-2768 if your home has been impacted by the wildfires, so the Red Cross can assess your needs.
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Update: Friday, July 6, 2018, 2 PM – Story and photo by Beth Bernhardt. The shelter in Cripple Creek housed 8 people last night. It will close Saturday morning at 8 AM. The Chateau fire is 91% contained and all evacuees were allowed back into their homes as of 11 AM Friday.
The Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) at Summit Elementary in Divide remains open and serving the community. In addition to supplies, a variety of support services are available including the county assessor, Environmental Health and Safety, the Veteran’s Administration, Department of Health & Human Services, Kid’s Play Zone, and tetanus vaccines.
The DAC served 170 people on Thursday. It will be open on Saturday July 7 from 9 AM – 2 PM.
Update: Thursday, July 5, 2018, 12 PM – The American Red Cross opened a Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) at Summit Elementary school at 490 Meadow Drive in Divide. Hours are 10 AM to 6 PM. The community is welcome to stop by to obtain cleaning supplies such as mops and gloves, water, snacks and other items. Case workers and licensed professional counselors will be on hand for emotional and spiritual care. Please have your necessary documents with you.
The American Red Cross continues to operate a shelter in Cripple Creek. Wednesday night 9 people stayed at this shelter. The Red Cross will continue to operate this shelter and offer support should there be an opportunity for reentry. Tips for reentering your home after a wildfire are available here.
For the latest fire information please visit the Teller County Sheriff website at https://www.tellercountysheriff.com/high-chateau-fire-information . You can also follow them on Twitter @sheriffteller. Follow the Red Cross on Twitter @COWYRedCross.
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Update: Wednesday, July 4, 2018, 8 AM – The American Red Cross closed the shelter at the Woodland Park High School. The shelter in Cripple Creek remains open for anyone evacuated due to the High Chateau Fire. Animals are being housed at the Cripple Creek Fairgrounds. Tuesday night 11 people stayed at the Cripple Creek shelter. Progress is being made with containment of the fire and the Red Cross will be ready with support should there be an opportunity for reentry.
Chelsea Frank offers food and smiles outside the Cripple Creek-Victor High School shelter. Photo by Rick Padden/American Red Cross
The Cripple Creek community has stepped up and is working with the Red Cross to make sure evacuees have food at the shelter. Chelsea Frank, a cook on the Lunch Box Etc. food truck, has been serving meals and smiles out of her serving window while parked outside Cripple Creek-Victor High School in Cripple Creek, CO. Frank said she hadn’t even counted the meals served to evacuees of the Spring Fire — for free. Laura Caudill, the food truck’s owner, said that thanks to a broad Teller County community effort — and working with the Red Cross — plenty of food had become available to distribute at no cost to evacuees and relief volunteers.
For the latest fire information please visit the Teller County Sheriff website at https://www.tellercountysheriff.com/high-chateau-fire-information . You can also follow them on Twitter @sheriffteller. Follow the Red Cross on Twitter @COWYRedCross.
We had a chance to talk with Laura on Monday. Here is what she had to say Monday evening in Cripple Creek.
If you would like to help the Red Cross help people affected by disasters like the fires in Colorado you can make a financial donation by:
CLICK – www,redcross.org.donate
Call: 1-800-REDCROSS
Text: the word redcross to 90999
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UPDATED: Saturday, June 30, 2018, 4 PM – The Red Cross will open an evacuation shelter at Woodland Park High School, 151 Panther Way, Woodland Park, CO 80863. This shelter is due to the High Chateau Fire evacuation requirements. The shelter at Cripple Creek/Victor High School remains open. NOTE: Large and small animals can be taken to the Cripple Creek Fairgrounds on Teller County Road 1.
High Chateau Fire Saturday afternoon. Photo Courtesy Teller County Sheriff
Friday night 22 people stayed at the Evacuation Shelter located at the Cripple Creek Victor High School in Cripple Creel. Local restaurants and businesses provided meals for the evacuees Friday night and Saturday morning. with additional evacuation requirements there is concern that there will be additional residents needing support through tonight.
The Red Cross continues to be in contact with local and state governments to help support the needs of evacuees and fire fighters as needed.
Mandatory evacuations continue to expand and people are urged to heed those evacuation orders. Follow @TCSOPIO on Twitter for updated emergency information on this fire evacuation.
The evacuation centers now open are located at:
Cripple Creek-Victor School, 410 North B Street, Cripple Creek, CO
Woodland Park High School, 151 Panther Way, Woodland Park, CO
If you are told to evacuate please do so and bring along your 72-hour evacuation kit. If you don’t have one you can follow tips available from the Red Cross preparedness website.
Download the Red Cross free mobile app, Emergency to tips before, during and after a disaster. Visit redcross.org/apps for more information.
Red Cross volunteers will be on site at the shelter to provide comfort and support. Follow Red Cross on Twitter as @COWRedCross.
As one of the families evacuated from the High Chateau fire, we found our way over to the high school in cripple creek, where the Red Cross was stationed. It was comforting to see people rallying together in this small community, and while we want to express appreciation to them for all their efforts, an incident between a female representative of the Red Cross and our family left us embarrassed and humiliated, and I’d like to share it. Our oldest son, a handicapped adult, took it upon himself to show up every day and volunteer his help in any way needed. He is well known to nearly everyone in this small community as a warm-hearted, tireless worker, dependable and honest, and asking nothing in return for his time and often hard, physical work. On Tuesday, 7/3 I believe, he was there early to help. A family friend and I arrived in the afternoon to get fire updates, and my son came over to show us the Red Cross blanket someone had given him. He was excited and proud, and I asked if we could get one as well. He came back with 2, one for me and one for his dad. As we milled around, talking with other victims and volunteers, a woman in a Red Cross vest approached us and said we could not have them, as they were for displaced families staying there at the high school. Although we had arranged for a place to stay, we were no different than the people staying there. We were all victims of this disaster. As other people began to notice and close in to listen, I began to feel embarrassed, and when we returned the blankets on demand, I felt like I was being accused of…..what?….stealing something from them? After that I could not bring myself to return there. Our son continued to offer his help every day until we were allowed to return to our home, but the blanket he was excited and proud to show us was never returned to him. That was shameful.