From one survivor to another, a group of Colorado residents are trying to reach people in Los Angeles who have escaped the devastating fires that have burned homes, businesses and entire neighborhoods.
“From the Mountains to the Beach” is a Facebook page created by survivors of the 2021 Marshall Fire, one of the costliest wildfires in Colorado history.
Like the Eaton and Palisades fires, the Marshall Fire started as a grass fire in Boulder County, and fueled by high winds, quickly grew to 15,000 acres (6,026 hectares).
A total of 1,084 houses were destroyed and two people were killed. Shopping centers and restaurants were also decimated. Just over three years later, Marshall Fire victims are returning to new construction homes and have a lot to share.
“No matter what your situation is, someone has been through it and has advice to offer,” said a Marshall Fire survivor.
Melanie Glover lost her home in the Marshall Fire, with her family barely escaping with their lives. “My husband and children were trapped in the house and the house caught fire with the family inside,” Glover said.
“They ran outside and jumped into the car with my husband and two dogs without a leash. My children were wearing bathrobes, they were barely clothed because they couldn’t get clothes because the house caught fire so quickly.”
One resident talks about the rebuilding process and how he chose to use a production builder instead of a custom builder, which allowed him to move into a home more quickly.
“We actually had a number of production builders who came to the table very quickly with different plans for our neighborhood and we were one of the first houses built in the neighborhood. I just turned it around as quickly as I could.” said Makia Minich.
Others shared the long road to rebuilding – full of bumps and roadblocks, noting that “insurance companies are not here to help you, but to look out for their bottom line.”
Minich said insurance was “basically a nightmare for everyone… you have to get smarter than whatever system you’re dealing with.”
He suggested taking lots of notes when doing business with insurance companies, knowing what’s in your policy and being firm.
“What they’re going to do is throw a lot of different experts at you and some are going to be nicer than others, some are going to be a lot more competent than others,” he said.
If you want to help family and friends affected by the fires, be direct and offer your best skills.
“Call them and say I want to help, but don’t say ‘what can I do,’” Meryl Suissa said. “Look at your own skills, are you good at filling out forms, are you good at creating Amazon wish lists, are you good at social media, can you share their story, can you share their GoFundMe, are you good at starting a meal train?”
One of the things a Marshall Fire victim regretted was not asking for more help, and they said don’t forget the fire victims for years to come, the road to recovery is long.