The Fremont County woman who lost her “dream home and ranch” west of Canon City to the Parkdale fire today thanked her neighbors for helping save her 14 Tennessee Walking horses .
Dr. Dorothy Twellman, who is the Fremont County coroner, said in a prepared statement that she was thankful for those who showed up with horse trailers to evacuate the horses.
“If we had not been able to save our horses, our pain would have been unbearable,” said Twellman and Diane Alvies, a nurse practitioner, who also lived at their Royal D Ranch.
The two women said they came to Colorado in 1985 after losing a rented home to fire in Kentucky.
When they bought the property west of Canon City in 1986, there was a small homestead cabin, an old chicken barn and an old garage.
They lived in the cabin while the new home was built and started raising horses beginning with the two they had brought from Kentucky.
They purchased three other horses and started raising the foals, eventually having the 14 Tennessee Walking horses.
The assistance of their neighbors and an outpouring of support has helped them to “feel the love” and “has helped us to keep putting one foot in front of the other,” they said.
The women praised Fremont County Sheriff Jim Beicker as well as the Fremont County deputies and firefighters who did their best to save the home and ranch.
They said the loss of the home and ranch has been devastating.
“We’ve lost so many of our ‘treasures’ because of this fire: family photos, special jewelry, and many things that can’t be replaced,” they said. “All our documentation is gone, including professional diplomas, licenses, etc. The list is endless. Our dream home and our dream barn are gone.
“But the part that causes our deepest pain is the loss of the beauty of the land. We know that this land will not be restored in our lifetimes. That is the hardest reality to face.”
The women said that they had tried to make their property as fire-safe as possible, but that wasn’t sufficient in the face of the raging fire. They urged everyone to take “every precaution to prevent similar losses.”
On Friday, the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team B, which is directing the firefighting efforts, said the fire was 100 percent contained. As of Thursday, they put the containment costs of the fire at $977,729.
The Royal Gorge Park and Bridge, which had been closed this week as the fire neared, has re-opened.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
