LOVELAND, Colorado — Firefighting efforts at the Alexander Mountain Fire are shifting to recovery efforts in Larimer County after the sheriff’s office opened a disaster relief center Friday. The center will help residents affected by the fire get help.
The center is open Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Ranch Events Complex in Loveland. Residents can get mental health support, food and licensing information, and the Red Cross provides gloves, masks and trash bags to help clean up homes.
The 9,668-acre Alexander Mountain Fire, Colorado’s largest wildfire, is 91% contained and was first reported on July 29. It forced the evacuation of more than 5,000 people in the area and destroyed 26 homes and 21 outbuildings. No injuries were reported.
The United States Forest Service concluded that the fire was human-caused. The agency did not provide further details but asked the public for help in gathering information as part of an ongoing investigation.
“It helps my mom,” said Josh King, a resident who was ordered to evacuate.
King’s mother had recently recovered from lung cancer and he was worried that the smoke might affect her health. King brought him some cleaning supplies to remove the smell of smoke from his mother’s house.
The district said that 18 people were helped on Friday and more than 30 on Saturday.
“We are here to provide information on rebuilding and resource planning,” said Amy White, a Larimer County spokeswoman.
White called the center a “one-stop shop” that provides information and resources from various organizations. More details can be found here.
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