On December 30, 2021, a massive wildfire ripped through over 6,000 acres in and around Marshall, Colorado, destroying over 1,000 homes. Killing two people; it was the most destructive fire in Colorado history in terms of buildings destroyed.  Cajun Navy Ground Force CEO & Founder, Rob Gaudet, was in the area for business, and when he saw the devastation firsthand, he knew we had to help.

Within days, team members were on the ground, contacting county officials and beginning to implement our Community Caretaking program.  We held a volunteer orientation in the Walmart parking lot beneath the Cajun Navy Ground Force tent and got to work.

Some homes were spared structurally, but the overwhelming smell of smoke ruined the owner’s entire life’s belongings. Many homes belonged to elderly residents who needed help removing heavy furniture to the curb. Others were concerned about burned tree limbs perilously close to their unburned home. Our team contained members who were trained tree removal specialists, and those families slept more peacefully that night, knowing they weren’t at risk of brittle branches breaching their roofs.

We drove through neighborhood after neighborhood with gaping holes in the middle of lots where 2-story homes once were. Now, everything was reduced to a pile of ash in the basement. Very quickly, we learned that the biggest need was for ash-sifting. Survivors had limited time to recover anything that possibly survived the inferno. In freezing temperatures, our teams donned Tyvek suits, gloves, and masks and lowered themselves into former basements to perform the tedious task of sifting through piles of ashes, foot by foot.

The work was grueling, but the rewards were great. Residents often hugged us and cried as we found mementos, photos, and documents that miraculously survived. After feeling like they’d lost everything, we gave them something tangible from their life before it was destroyed. That gave them hope.

The greatest discovery was one senior citizen’s military medals, including a Purple Heart! The family estimated where it had been when on the second floor, and we meticulously sifted through that area of the basement for several days. Everyone was incredulous when the metals finally materialized as the ashes fell away. The family couldn’t thank us enough, and there wasn’t a dry eye on the lot that day. 

Our team was on the ground for five and a half weeks while local volunteers took over after we left.