The Hayman Fire
DECKERS, Colorado – The blaze started 13 years ago on June 8 2002 and burned for six weeks, consuming 137,760 acres, almost twice the size the of the second-largest blaze in Colorado’s recorded history, the Missionary Ridge fire , which started the day after Hayman and burned 70,662 acres in LaPlata County.
Going down in the history books as the worst blaze in Colorado history, It was the largest, the second-most costly in terms of insured losses and one of the hottest to ever burn in the Rocky Mountains, turning 215 square miles of iconic Colorado landscape into a charred mess.
Along with the financial loss of 132 homes, 466 outbuildings and vast stands of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, aspen and spruce was the loss of memories once created. The fire was the most expensive to fight in Colorado history. The total cost of the fire was $238 million, including 39.1 million for rehabilitation, thus far. The $38 million spent by the U.S. Forest Service to fight the fire was more than three times its average cost for all fires across the entire Rocky Mountains. State and federal agencies spent another $74 million, and local fire departments another $2 million.
How Did it Happen
A forestry technician with the U.S. Forest Service, Terry Barton, set the fire in a campfire ring during a total burn ban. Barton’s claim that she was attempting to burn a letter from her estranged husband was disputed by one of her teenage daughters who testified that a psychology teacher had told Ms. Barton to write her feelings in a letter and burn it.
The Human Toll
Ann Dow, 50, suffered a fatal asthma attack on the evening of June 10, 2002 when heavy smoke from the fire drifted over the Dows’ home south of Florissant. She quickly lapsed into unconsciousness and paramedics could not revive her. Her death certificate lists the cause as “acute asthma attack due to or as a consequence of smoke inhalation.”
Five firefighters died from injuries sustained from a June 21, 2002 traffic accident en route to the Hayman fire from Oregon: Zach Zigich, Retah Shirley, Jacob Martindale, Danial Rama, and Bart Bailey. They are listed in the memorial to fallen firefighters on the Wildland Firefighter Foundation’s website.
Today
As I drive through the area today, I can’t help but see the beauty of the burn area. Thats right beauty. In my mind are memories of what the area looked like which soon become replaced with visions of what the forrest will look like again. While at the same time admire the topography and the occasional Wild flowers you see popping up reminding us of the seasons of time.