Colorado teacher displaced by Alexander Mountain Fire returns home: "It's very different"
As containment of the Alexander Mountain Fire in Colorado climbs closer to 100%, many who were evacuated have been allowed to return to their homes.
One of those evacuees, teacher Mike Burkett was worried over the weekend that he might have to start the school year out while he was displaced from his house. But now he won't have to.
The fire has destroyed dozens of houses, and Burkett didn't know if his dream home in Larimer County would survive.
"It's been an emotional week, I can tell you that," Burkett said on Monday.
Burkett lives in Loveland's Bartram Park neighborhood, just south of Highway 34. One week ago, he watched the flames approach before evacuating with his wife and son.
"It was definitely spooky," said Burkett.
But on Monday, they returned home, to find their house, and chickens, safe.
"We're just extremely, extremely grateful and just really happy," Burkett said. "The chickens were upset we had been gone for so long, but they're alive and they're kicking."
Their view, however, has changed.
"Knowing what it's looked like for the last 10 years and what it looks like now, it's very different," Burkett said.
The fire burned up to about a half-mile from Burkett's home.
"It's pretty scorched over there," he said.
Burkett is a middle school teacher and normally is getting prepared for the start of classes at this time of year.
"The stuff that I need to teach is always in the garage, so I'm going to be able to get that all back," he said.
But the fire will still be top of mind when students return next week.
"There's going to be kids in class that live in this area. It's possible there's going to be kids in class who lost their home," Burkett said.
He's prepared to talk to students and offer support.
"It's easy for adults to rationalize stuff like this. It's not so easy if you're 12, 13, 14," Burkett said.
As the flames cool, and neighbors return home, Burkett says it's a time for the community to come together.
"As soon as I got in here, I saw one of my neighbors. We talked to each other for a couple minutes. We were both pretty ecstatic to be back up here," Burkett said, "I can only imagine when the rest of them get home, it's going to be the same thing."
Something they're used to doing, after years of weathering devastating fires and floods.
"When something happens, everybody kind of gathers together and we all keep tabs on each other," Burkett said.
He says he has felt supported by the community throughout the whole evacuation process.
"I keep going back to how many people have reached out. I couldn't keep track of what's going on in my phone, my emails. The people at the school have been tremendous," Burkett said.
Burkett wants to thank all of the firefighters who worked to save his home and so many others. But even as his family celebrates, his heart is heavy for his neighbors whose homes did not make it and the difficult journey ahead for them.
