Update from our Boulder Camp

This special and personal update on Camp Paul Hummel, outside of Boulder, Colo., came last week from Ana Petersen. Her father is the camp's caretaker. We rejoice in the great news!

Dad and I made it up to Camp today. As you enter the camp and drive to the lodge, there is no evidence that a fire was even near the area. However, if you walk straight up from the upper cabin toward the towers, the fire came to within about 100 feet of the building.

The firefighters fought an incredible battle and won, which included orange slurry sprayed from above, large trees cut down in strategic spots, and a long and winding fire line that they dug by hand. The fire raged through a large part of the property through the undergrowth, leaving the tops of the tree untouched. The firefighters followed many of our trails and roads which created breaks for them to enhance.

We did a little hiking around the property, and saw the burn areas are very sporadic. Starting from the South Meadow to the road near the towers is scorched with many burned trees. However to the east and north all the way to the building area there are no burned trees. From the towers south and west–all the way to the archery range–is extensively burned. The practice range and picnic tables did not burn. The firemen said there were a few of the large animal targets left, but not very many unfortunately.


There are still spot fires smoldering all over the burn area. A crew of about a dozen firefighters from Poudre Canyon is still roaming the property putting those spots out. We heard that there is still a great danger from some of those fires that follow the root system of a tree and come out somewhere else where the wind whips it up and starts to burn again. Although the fire raged all around and right up to the tower building, we couldn't see any burn evidence on the buildings or the towers. The cables in the air burned, but not all the way through. All the power and telephone poles to the lodge are still up.

We still have an amazing piece of property with most of our trees still vibrantly growing. Thank you all for being prayer warriors this week! It is truly a miracle that stopped it from coming any closer, or from a different direction.

Keep up the prayers until all the little spots are out and all the emergency responders are called home. All across Sunshine Valley up towards Gold Hill, there were spots flaring up from the wind as we watched. The crews started fighting them almost immediately because they are all over the place, but we should not forget that the little battles continue.