By Brooke Baitinger
Merced Sun-Star
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — First responders at the site of a devastating wildfire in Colorado discovered a symbol of hope among the charred landscape in the form of a lost cat that had survived the Quarry Fire flames, officials said.
This cat represents our community's difficult week and the tenacity of our community to not only persevere, but come out stronger on the other end.
— Jeffco Sheriff (@jeffcosheriffco) August 4, 2024
During our afternoon presser we mentioned this cat being rescued from the #QuarryFire burn area. Here are two photos of the cat in… pic.twitter.com/SPoVrbCssK
The cat was covered in red slurry, a type of bright red flame retardant that’s dropped from airplanes over wildfires, when a firefighter found it, a Jefferson County Sheriff’s spokesperson said during a Saturday, Aug. 3 news conference recorded by KOAA.
“Think about this now, you have a cat that’s been out there for four or five days, was close enough to the fire to be hit by retardant, can’t even imagine how scared and trying to find its way … but that cat to me is the symbol of what we’ve been through here,” spokesperson Mark Techmeyer said. “That is survival and tenacity, and hanging in there and fighting.”
Emergency personnel washed the cat off and took it to Foothills Animal Shelter before it was returned to its owner, officials said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The post shows photos of the cat in a tub, taken while it was still covered in the slurry, Techmeyer said.
This cat represents our community’s difficult week and the tenacity of our community to not only persevere but come out stronger on the other end.
“It could just break your heart, but that cat is back with its owners,” he said at the news conference.
The Quarry Fire burned through more than 500 acres near highly populated neighborhoods about 15 miles southwest of Denver, according to the county website. Mandatory evacuations were lifted on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
Officials are investigating the fire as arson, KDVR reported.
“Meanwhile, the Alexander Mountain Fire destroyed dozens of buildings and the Stone Canyon Fire killed one person this week,” the station reported. “Hundreds of firefighters have been digging trenches, hiking on steep terrain, removing slash and combustibles and more in the heat, and overnight, all week to protect homes in the area.”
About 65 miles north of the Quarry Fire, the Alexander Mountain Fire has burned through more than 9,600 acres about 10 miles slightly northwest of Loveland, and is the largest wildfire burning in Colorado, KMGH reported. The blaze was about 74% contained on Tuesday when officials lifted several evacuation orders and reopened a portion of Highway 34, the station reported.
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