Parker Chronicle 011322

Page 1

Week of January 13, 2022

FREE

DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

ParkerChronicle.net

INSIDE: CALENDAR: PAGE 9 | VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | SPORTS: PAGE 16

‘Cars kept coming’

Fire ‘year-round threat’ in Douglas County

Parker resident organizes donation drive to support Marshall Fire victims BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When Parker resident Rob Nelson stepped outside of Cabela’s in Lone Tree on Dec. 30, he saw smoke rising from the north. It was the growing Marshall Fire in Boulder County, which proceeded to destroy more than 1,000 homes in Superior and Louisville. Looking at the smoke, he had what he describes as “a 9/11 moment.” “This is something where we’ve never been,” he said. Nelson immediately started calling local leaders he knew in an attempt to find a way to help. “It was like something deep in my gut that said “this is what you do. Go do something,” he said. “I think all of Parker had that on their heart.” By that evening, Nelson had decided to organize a donation drive at the SECORCares facility on Pine Lane the following day. He called a

First responders discuss plans, how residents can prepare for wildfire BY JESSICA GIBBS AND ELLIOTT WENZLER JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

and wait to see whether sickness occurs. The updated guidance reduces the recommended time in isolation for those in the general population with COVID-19 from 10 to five days if asymptomatic on day five, followed by an additional five days wearing a mask when around others, according to the state public health department. Earlier in the pandemic, the CDC

When South Metro Fire Rescue crews helping respond to the Marshall Fire arrived at their staging area, the site was surrounded by several buildings engulfed in flames. Smoke laid flat, “a very telling sign of a wind-driven event” and “a big red flag for us,” South Metro spokesman Eric Hurst said. In those conditions, the likelihood that first responders are able to quickly control a fire plummets. Firefighters can expect low visibility. Debris falling. Structures collapsing. As South Metro personnel got to work, they first tried stopping the fire from spreading through grassy areas, but 20- to 25-foot flames leapt low across the ground, “enough to get across a road.” “Behavior like that is way too dangerous, No. 1, to put firefighters in front of, and No. 2, even if we went to try, the probability of success is pretty much zero,” Hurst said. As hundreds of homes burned, South Metro crews shifted focus to saving properties. “For hours and hours” the firefighters made impossible decisions about which houses they could save and which they could not, Hurst said. Crews made successful stands, like in one cul-de-sac, where they prevented a house ablaze from igniting

SEE UPDATE, P22

SEE FIRE, P6

Parker residents line up at Grace Baptist Church to donate hygiene items, water and COURTESY OF ROB NELSON pet food for a drive-in donation organized by resident Rob Nelson.

few friends, posted about the donation drive on Facebook and the next morning, cars started lining up. And they didn’t stop. “That’s what I can’t get out of my mind,” he said “The line of cars.” Folks brought hygiene products, pet food and water for the donation drive, which eventually moved to Grace Baptist church. Nelson, a graphic designer, volunteers with

both SECORCares and Grace Baptist Church. Before long, Nelson was wondering where he was going to store and transport all of the items the Parker community had contributed. Then, folks started volunteering their trucks and trailers. When it snowed the next day, NelSEE DONATIONS, P4

Isolation, quarantine guidance changes Updated protocols reflect CDC’s new COVID recommendations BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The state public health department has updated its quarantine and isolation guidance, changing how long it suggests people with

VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 7

COVID-19 — or those who are exposed to it — should avoid others. Colorado made the move to align with the change in recommendations from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to a Dec. 27 news release. “Isolation” refers to the steps a person should take after a confirmed infection, according to the CDC’s website. Quarantine, on the other hand, is when people avoid others after exposure to the virus

MOUNTAIN VISTA HOCKEY

Kail Burns helps lead the way to victory

P16

JUST THE HIGH POINTS Exploring the highest elevations in Metro Denver P12


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