One Utah homeowner prepared to return to her mountain home for the first time one week after evacuating due to the Cottonwood Fire. Trudy Williams, who had used the summer home for 11 years, faced the reality of her property being reduced to a pile of debris.
Williams evacuated when the human-caused fire ignited on a Monday, stating she only had minutes to leave. She recalled sheriffs instructing residents that they needed to go.
The Cottonwood Fire grew rapidly, doubling and then tripling in size until it reached nearly 94,000 acres. Williams noted that even after crews believed they had established a perimeter, the fire jumped the line. She described the fire as being so ferocious it was like a monster creeping up the canyon.
Williams expressed that seeing photos of her property has been very difficult and stated that she remains in shock. She also noted that neighbors lost everything in the fire.
Despite the loss of her home, Williams said she was grateful that everyone was able to evacuate the mountain safely. She also expressed mourning for the loss of firefighters on a fire burning near the Utah-Colorado border and shared hope that her family and neighbors could eventually return to the mountain to rebuild.
