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Letter: Gratitude for fire efforts

The Lake Christine Fire has consumed thousands of acres and three homes in Eagle County — a toll that would have been much higher if it weren’t for the heroism of our local first responders. The quickly changing conditions in the first 36 hours tested the Roaring Fork Valley to its limits.

Hundreds of firefighters and first responders from across 20 states have rushed to the side of El Jebel and Basalt including our own Basalt and Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection districts, Eagle River & Greater Eagle Fire Protection Districts, Aspen Fire Department, Snowmass Wildcat Fire Protection District, Vail Fire & Emergency Services, local sheriff’s offices, Vail Valley Salvation Army, USFS, BLM, American Red Cross, Holy Cross Energy, and so many others.

To everyone — thank you. And as your state senator, be assured that I will do my best to support the impacted areas of the Roaring Fork Valley today and in the months to come.



With nine wildfires ablaze across our beautiful state, and over 60 burning nationwide, I offer my gratitude to the crews putting their lives on hold and at risk, working 16 hour shifts to keep our friends, neighbors and families safe.

I am incredibly proud of how Eagle County and the surrounding areas have banded together to keep one another safe. Thank you to Pitkin and Garfield counties for opening up your facilities to horses and for sending staff to help. I share a heartfelt thank-you to the staff and administration at Basalt High School, Roaring Fork High School, and several local churches for making sure hundreds of families and their pets had a roof over their head during this time of crisis.



And, thank you to the countless individuals who made small or grand gestures that most will never know about. It will be this spirit of community support that will carry us through the next months.

My sincere thanks to everyone helping those impacted by the fire and my hopes for the best outcomes possible for those still facing the threat of wildfire.

Kerry Donovan

State Senator, District 5


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