“We’ve got grit” is a slogan you’ll see on bumper stickers in the Boulder County community of Lyons, Colo, population 2,146. The stickers began to appear after a violent flood reshaped the town in 2013.
And the grit goes on.
The Stone Canyon fire forced evacuations in Lyons earlier this week, which have since been lifted. But the community is coming to terms with a death. A body was discovered in one of the buildings that burned. The coroner has not shared the identity of the victim publicly.
“The spirit of Lyons only gets stronger by the year,” said mayor and longtime resident Hollie Rogin.
“We haven’t lost it since 2013, and we have added to that grace and gratitude.”
Rogin relayed a story from just after the fire’s outbreak Tuesday: Around 225 firefighters are battling the blaze. They rest and clean up in Lyons' park facilities. But they were short on bathing supplies. So the town administrator, Victoria Simonsen, who served as emergency manager during the floods, sent a message to her neighborhood.
“And within 10 minutes, she had 75 towels at her front door and countless bars of soap and body wash,” Mayor Rogin recounted.
The library, meanwhile, has also collected supplies.
“People are just really champing at the bit to help right now,” said Rogin. “I like to say Lyons is way more than a small town. We're a big family and we really take care of each other.”
The North Saint Vrain Creek, whose swollen currents caused so much damage a decade ago, has become a source of comfort for firefighters in the extreme heat.
“We have a river running right through town that they can hop into, and cool off,” Rogin said.
FEMA has authorized money for the Stone Canyon fire, which means 75% of firefighting and mitigation costs will be reimbursed by the federal government.
Mayor Rogin added that Lyons faces hefty price tags, however, as it shores up infrastructure against the effects of climate change, including the heightened risk of wildfires.
“We are trying to get all of our electric lines underground. It’s an extremely expensive process.” The town is also transitioning its park equipment to electric.
In the meantime, Rogin believes Lyons’ residents live on pins and needles.
“I can tell you every time it rains real hard here, there are still people who feel the panic and feel the trauma 10 years on from the flood.”
This time, though, the lack of moisture, coupled with three-digit highs, bedevils this town that’s “got grit.”
