'A sanctuary': Mountain Ridge resident recounts home lost in CalWood Fire

Nov. 7--As the CalWood Fire encroached on her Mountain Ridge home, Krsangi Davis hurriedly gathered a few belongings in a bag, stopping for a moment to do something that, looking back, feels a bit odd.

She made her bed.

"It's really weird ... but it was my way of just honoring that beautiful place," she said.

In the end, it was goodbye. Hours later, in the comfort of a friend's home, Davis watched as a local television station cut to a shot of her home engulfed in flames.

The 10,106-acre CalWood Fire, the largest in Boulder County history, began about noon Oct. 17, and the cause is still under investigation. It's currently 85% contained with officials predicting full containment by the end of the month.

Davis' home was one of more than 20 damaged or fully destroyed in the fire. The majority were in the Mountain Ridge subdivision, north of Boulder near Altona.

No time

Davis awoke that Saturday to a clear, sunny day. She first heard about the fire and the thick smoke from friends who live in the city.

Officials recommended packing a bag and being ready, but Davis said there wasn't a sense of urgency. She was told it might be evening before Mountain Ridge faced evacuation orders.

However, a sheriff's deputy was soon at her door, urging Davis and her daughter to leave. He estimated they had an hour until the flames crossed the ridge, but Davis said it was far sooner when the sky went dark with smoke.

Fires are driven by fuels, weather and topography, and Lefthand Fire Deputy Chief Chris O'Brien said the CalWood Fire saw those three elements join forces to create explosive fire behavior.

It can be a tough call, but O'Brien said firefighters always prioritize life safety ahead of property protection. Mountain Ridge and the surrounding areas saw the head of the fire, according to O'Brien.

"Our primary mission with how fast that fire was moving was to get the evacuations in place and get people out of there," he said. "Pretty much, the fire moved through those neighborhoods shortly after everybody was out, so the firefighters really didn't have time to engage."

With nothing more than a few bags and the family's new kitten, Davis drove away from the home she's owned for about a decade, through a blaze so intense it consumed the trees on each side of the road, and Davis worried her car might melt. She credits her life to her partner's twin sons, who drove up to help Davis and her daughter.

Other losses

Basia Majdak, an immigrant from rural Poland and a Naropa University graduate, rented "the cottage," a separate guesthouse on Davis' property that also burned in the CalWood Fire.

Majdak recalls the property as a serene place that cultivated community. It was "a home for so many people," she said.

"For me what was devastating was just that I found such a home there," she said. "And also the fact that I was already in some kind of ... challenging times because I couldn't work."

Majdak was in a car accident in late August that left her unable to work as a physical trainer.

As difficult as it's been, Majdak is quick to express empathy for Davis, whose strength does not negate the fact that she lost her home and sense of security.

Through it all, Majdak and Davis expressed gratitude for friends and family, who have offered everything from a shoulder to cry on to a place to stay.

"When everything falls apart, there's an incredible opportunity for connection," Majdak said.

What's next

After losing a home to fire, there's a lot that must be done aside from working through the grief and securing a new place to live. Boulder County offers a list, which includes cleaning up all debris and the remaining structural elements of the home that cannot be reused as well as inspecting the septic system for damage.

Most homeowners rely on insurance to cover the costs. Although homeowners' insurance can be tough to obtain in areas with high fire risk, Boulder County Recovery Manager Garry Sanfacon said he's yet to hear of someone without it in this particular fire.

The county hasn't assessed the full extent of the damage since the fire is still burning. It documented 27 properties with damage, though some were vacant and several structures were not primary residences.

Boulder County has considered purchasing the land, since it's near county open space. However, Sanfacon said it's far from definite and would require homeowners' approval since the county has no plans to use condemnation or eminent domain to force people to give up their land.

"We've never done it before. We don't know what that would look like," he said. "It's up to the individual. We just want to explore options."

For Davis, it's a lot to deal with as she tries to process losing her home and nearly everything in it.

"The fire's over, but the aftermath is going to be here for a while," Davis said.

That's what Sanfacon always reminds people, too.

"This is a marathon," he typically says when meeting with neighborhoods following a natural disaster. "Take care of yourself. Take your time. You don't have to make any hasty decisions."

Making sense of it

Of course, Davis is grateful for her life. Had the fire happened overnight, she's not sure there would be many survivors from her neighborhood, considering how quickly it spread.

Still, her mountain home was a haven, a place filled with irreplaceable art and a space for her loved ones to gather. Among the charred trees and blackened stone, memories remain.

"It was a place where people could heal and feel loved and supported. It was like a sanctuary," Davis said.

Davis subscribes to the belief that everything happens for a reason, but she's still trying to find a reason for this.

"I've never cried so much in all of my years of being on the planet," she said. "This one is at the top of my greatest losses."

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How to help

* Donate to Krsangi Davis by visiting bit.ly/355QDYh.

* Donate to Basia Majdak by visiting bit.ly/38wEmP1.

* Give to the Community Foundation's 2020 Fires Relief Fund at www.commfound.org/2020firesfund.

* For those impacted by the fires, Boulder County offers resources at www.bouldercounty.org/disasters/wildfires/calwood-lefthand-canyon/.

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