3 more Beulah Volunteer Firefighters lose their home while trying to save their town
PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- "They lost absolutely everything. It's just, it's just gone." LaRae Gallant and Vanessa Harris might not live in the evacuation zone, but the devastation caused by the Aspen Acres Fire has still hit them hard.
Gallent's long-time best friend and her daughter, along with their relatives, all lost their homes in the blaze. Harris shares blood with all three, who also hold spots on the Beulah Volunteer Fire Department: Matthew Ryan, Rosie Freeman, and her daughter, Haley Nicole.
→ Follow KRDO's continuous coverage of the "Aspen Acres" wildfire here
"They were stationed at the firehouse that evening when it happened, and the wind shifted, changed direction earlier that afternoon," Gallant recalled. "Haley said, and there's the fire front that just ate our house. And it was heartbreaking," Gallant and Harris paused.
Gallant says Freeman and Nicole could only watch as the fire burned up their home because it was too dangerous for them to go in and try to stave off the flames.
"That was Rosie's forever home. She's moved a lot in her life. When they bought this place, she said, 'I'm never moving again. This is the house I've looked for my whole life,'" Gallant said.
"[Matthew Ryan's] home is gone as well. and it was passed down to him from his parents," Harris said.
Now, while Freeman, Nicole, and Ryan continue to fight the Aspen Acres Fire, their friends and family in safer parts of Pueblo County are doing what they can to help.
"They're out there battling the fire, and that's their focus. They don't know what's happening here, and we just want to make sure that we can make that transition as smooth as possible for them," Harris said.
If you want to help support them and other members of the Buelah Volunteer Fire Department who've also lost their homes, you can find the proper GoFundMe links below.
RELATED COVERAGE: Family of firefighters loses their home in Aspen Acres Fire
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