LOVELAND, Colo. — The largest wildfire in Colorado's history, the Cameron Peak Fire, burned through 208,913 acres and 224 residential structures were destroyed, impacting the lives of so many.
“I really didn’t think the fire was going to get to me, so I didn’t grab hardly anything other than a basket of clothes and a couple guns and, yeah, within that same day everything was gone,” Storm Mountain resident Michael Jamison said.
The images from Jamison's property on Storm Mountain paint a pretty dark picture.
“It’s depressing. Storm Mountain was so beautiful. Now, it’s burnt to a crisp," Jamison said. "But at least they stopped before that got to too many homes.”
But some, like his, were lost to the Cameron Peak Fire.
“Cameron Peak Fire burned everything right down to the dirt,” Jamison said.
The dirt was pretty much all that was left. He and neighbors have been trying to help each other rebuild and rebound.
“I had a friend of mine, I stayed with him for a week or two, and my neighbors actually got together and Jellystone Campground in Estes donated a camper for me, so we got that hold up there and I’m living in that now until I get back up,” Jamison said.
Thanks to the Denver7 Gives Colorado Wildfire Victim Fund, more help was on the way. He received $2,500 to spend at Home Depot to put a patio on the camper to help get through the winter.
“This is fantastic," Jamison said. "I’m not used to this sort of thing, but it is wonderful. It helps me more than I can say.”
It will help him start loading up with all of the wood and supplies he needs—an early Christmas gift for Jamison after the devastating loss.
“Oh, it’s wonderful. I can’t say enough about you guys and everybody," Jamison said. "It’s fantastic.”
He's grateful for the help of others at a time when he needed it most.
But that wasn't all.
“Because of that, we just want to make sure that if we can maybe sweeten your Christmas a little bit, that means a lot to us,” Loveland Home Depot Manager Danny McCann told Jamison.
“Very much so. It’s gonna be great,” Jamison said.
Home Depot donated a new grill to go on his new patio.
“When you guys reached out to us and told us you were doing something good, I’m sure you can understand that generosity breeds generosity. Got to jump on that opportunity,” McCann said.
It's offering Jamison a chance to start fresh after his world was destroyed.
“It’s pretty burned, but boy this helps so much, get me back on my feet," Jamison said. "Losing everything isn’t any fun, but I guess we go on.”
He'll go on a lot better now thanks to the help from the Colorado community.
“Thank you so much,” Jamison said.
Denver7 features the stories of people who need help and now you can help them with a cash donation through Denver7 Gives. One hundred percent of contributions to the fund will be used to help people in our local community.
