The massive West Fork Complex wildfire that burned out of control for several weeks this summer has been contained, but not before consuming 110,000 acres of forest. It was never a threat to us here in Aspen thankfully, but for those living in the burn area (Creede/Pagosa Springs/South Fork) it was an extremely serious situation.

We have some friends that fell into that latter category. They were right in the path of the fire, but thanks to the Nature Conservancy’s Hot Shot team, their place was spared.

The fire is no longer a threat, and evacuation orders have been lifted. We joined our friends as they returned to their property last weekend, and took a long hike through the fire zone. It’s hard to grasp the size and devastation of an event like this. Click any image to enlarge.