Colorado Parks And Wildlife Helps Marshall Fire Victim In Unique Colorado Fashion
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - When the Marshall Fire tore through Boulder County in December, it was an all-hands-on-deck response. Video shows firefighters rushing toward the destructive flames, and police officers and deputies hurrying to secure the area.
What you may not have noticed helping evacuees were the park rangers and wildlife officers.
"This is the third fire I've responded to," said Sam Peterson, a district wildlife manager with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "It was a lot of chaos."
Peterson was home when the fire started but didn't hesitate to answer the call to help as flames roared into Superior and Louisville. He joined other wildlife officers from around the state tasked with setting up roadblocks and getting people to safety.
"We went door to door knocking and telling people to get out," he told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann.
In the aftermath, wildlife officers also stood watch and helped guard destroyed neighborhoods. Yet Peterson was looking for more ways to help the thousands of Coloradans impacted by the most destructive wildfire in state history.
"I was constantly like, 'What can I do on a more personal level to help?'" he explained.
Then, Peterson heard of a hunter whose family lost everything in the fire and he found the most unique way to help.
"It's so difficult to find exactly what somebody needs, but I think it's just being there and being able to offer whatever you can, and for us, it was an elk carcass," he said with a laugh.
Sounds funny, but it's true! An elk that was illegally hunted and seized by CPW turned out to be the perfect gift for Fleetwood Mathews.
"I got a call from Officer Peterson, and at first I thought I was in trouble," Mathews told CBS4. "I was flabbergasted. It was unexpected, very appreciated and a huge silver lining."
Mathews became an avid bow hunter when he moved to Colorado a few years ago. Just last year he harvested his first bull elk.
"I was saving all the best cuts for a special occasion, and it's a waste," he explained, showing CBS4 his leveled home and destroyed freezers that stored his elk and beef from Colorado ranchers. "That's my advice to everyone. If you have something nice that you're cherishing, enjoy it. Don't wait because you never know what's going to happen."
Now, the same officers who stood watch over his leveled home are helping rebuild… or at least filling his fridge.
"In a time of devastation, there are silver linings," Mathews said, repeatedly expressing his gratitude for CPW's generosity. "Not all is lost, even though it might feel like it is."
And how about this for a silver lining – Mathews and his wife happened to find a temporary home just down the road from Officer Peterson. They plan to share an elk steak dinner together as friends very soon.
"It means everything to me," said Mathews.