DENVER—The text of an e-mail from Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, whose district includes the Ordway wildfire. It was read on the House floor on Wednesday.
Members, at around 3 p.m. Tuesday, the beginning of a 7,500 acre-plus fire began in Crowley County. Whipped by fierce winds, the fire quickly encroached the town of Ordway. Public safety officials moved quickly to evacuate the town’s 1,700 citizens, nursing home residents and schools. At its peak, nearly 300 personnel were fighting the fire.
Unfortunately, they could not save over a dozen homes, and they could not stop the tragic loss of life.
Two volunteer firefighters from Olney Springs were lost when a burned-out bridge gave way under their fire truck. Both were employed by the Colorado Department of Corrections Arkansas Valley Corrections Facility. Both men leave behind young children and families.
Presently they are the only confirmed deaths.
The Department of Corrections, public safety, state patrol, emergency management personnel, flight crews, Crowley and Pueblo sheriffs offices and a dozen other law and public safety departments deserve our utmost thanks.
Support and cooperation has been tremendous, but we will know more as day breaks.
Please join in heart and mind with the people of Crowley County in memory of those lost and in the spirit of the renewal to come.”
