Black Forest family who helped emergency responders during fire says they’re getting government runaround

When Sharon and Jim Kesser and her husband told the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office to use their land as a mobile command post for fire relief, they did it to help.

Now they need help, but can’t find any.

“They asked us if it was possible for them to use our back 3 acres for their stage three command center,” she said.

She was happy to agree, and her yard was filled with fire, sheriff and police teams instantly.

“It was a perfect ground to move in on and in close vicinity to the fire,” she said.

But that ground isn’t perfect anymore.

All of that heavy machinery killed the grass, created divots and caused significant damage to her yard.

“It was after the fire was over, that two people from the USDA came and told us to sign a land use contract,” Kesser said.

So they did.

That form said the Kessers could receive up to $100 each day the task force was there.

The problem? No one from USDA will talk to them now.

“We sent it up there and never heard another thing. Year and a half later, still haven’t heard anything,” she said.

To clear out all of the weeds and restore this acreage to what it was like before the Black Forest Fire, would cost an estimated $17,000-18,000. That’s money they say they simply don’t have.

“We know that there was a big toll with the fire but we didn’t expect to be totally blown off,” Kesser said.

An investigator with the USDA told KRDO NewsChannel 13 that the family needs to contact the Colorado Division of Fire and Protection Control.

Since it was the agency in command during the Black Forest Fire, it’s responsible for paying the couple.