John Scarffe, Gilpin County. Gilpin County has been assisting with evacuations of area fires by housing evacuees and their animals. Cherokee Blake with the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office said that Gilpin County has been working with the Red Cross to coordinate assistance to evacuees of area fires.

The County has been recruiting volunteers to check in evacuees at the Isle Casino in Black Hawk. They had 58 people checked in as of October 23. 

The Red Cross has forms evacuees fill out. They must show their identification and that they have been evacuated.

The Gilpin County Food Bank conducted a drive on October 25 at the Justice Center Parking Lot, 2960 Dory Hill Road, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., accepting non-perishable food and checks payable to the Gilpin County Food Pantry. At that time, the Isle Hotel was full with 159 rooms booked with evacuees.

The Ameristar is now accepting folks and has 43 rooms filled. They expect to get another 80 rooms if needed. Donations can be made to the American Red Cross.

The Gilpin County Animal Rescue (GCART) has assisted with the evacuation of 190 animals so far, most of which are chickens, horses, one puppy dog, roosters and turkeys. They still have plenty of room for sheltering at the FairGrounds at 230 Norton Drive. Call 303-515-4342. To volunteer or other inquiries, call 303-515-4339.

One family evacuated from Allenspark has been staying at the fairgrounds. The County is caring for their 130 chickens and are doing their best to keep them warm. 

The Gilpin Animal Rescue team needs empty soda bottles to use in the water feeders for the evacuated chickens. They also need senior dog food and regular canned dog food. If you can help, please drop off at the Gilpin County Fairgrounds on Norton Drive. Just follow the animal evacuation signs.

Timberline Fire is working round the clock out in areas where they know there have been illegal camping in the past as is the Gilpin County Sheriff. Gilpin County Commissioner Gail Watson said the County issued a resolution in support of the U.S. Fire Service closures and have closed county roads leading to USFS lands. 

“The two are intertwined as the virus makes fighting fires more dangerous and resources are stretched so tight with the fires all around us. This will be posted on our website,” Watson said. 

Go to http://www.gilpincounty.org/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=17149657. 

According to the resolution, the State of Colorado is experiencing a record number of major fires including the largest documented fire in Colorado history, the Cameron Peak Fire in Larimer County, the CalWood Fire in Boulder County, and the Lefthand Canyon Fire in Boulder County just seven miles north of Gilpin County.  

Gilpin County and surrounding counties are experiencing extreme drought conditions.

The lack of precipitation coupled with an abundance of dry vegetation and high winds has dramatically increased the chances for fire danger both natural and manmade, so the County issued a new public health order limiting gatherings in hopes to reverse the increased number of Covid-19 cases in the county. 

Watson said the Sheriff’s Office is working round the clock coordinating with our neighboring counties and have arranged for Red Cross sheltering at the Isle Casino as well as activated GCART who are caring for evacuated animals. Gilpin County Sheriff Kevin Armstrong posted on Facebook that during the past week he has witnessed some amazing work done by the men and women of the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office, the citizens of Gilpin County and businesses in this great county. 

“We are very lucky to have an experienced Emergency Manager, Nathan Whittington. He has done an amazing job coordinating with other county emergency managers in Larimer, Boulder and Grand counties to assist in sheltering needs of evacuees and coordinated the Gilpin County Animal Rescue team. 

“All the exceptional volunteers with GCART in our community have sheltered and taken great care of over 190 animals from these three counties. The men and women of the Sheriff’s Office have stepped up to assist in evacuation and road closures when the call for help went out in our neighboring counties. 

“They are working the county road closures in support of the USFS closures to keep individuals out of the forest during these unprecedented dry conditions. I am very proud of each and every one who stepped up during this crisis: the men and women of the USFS, Timberline Fire, Central City Fire and Black Hawk. Gilpin Together: Gilpin Proud.”

(Originally published in the October 29, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)