It seems like time has stopped since the fires on 12/30/21. We were very fortunate to not to have lost any structures in the fires, although Dr. Martin’s Mom is displaced because of smoke/ ash damage in her condo. As we’ve told many patients, we sold our house of 20 years on West Mulberry Street in October 2021 and it is miraculously still standing….all the houses on the block across the street from it are gone and there are two houses west of our old house that are still standing…..54 houses burned in our neighborhood where we raised our kids…..just devastating for all who lost everything and for our neighbors who have to live so close to a burn area. It is just surreal to see the devastation and hear everyone’s frantic evacuation stories. Our hearts go out to everyone who lost their homes and all their possessions and for those who are displaced and dealing with the complicated mitigation process. There are no words to say to change anything that has happened, but please know that we are concerned for you and your family and want you to know that we are thinking of you at this very difficult time.
Here is a good resource that a patient passed along if you or someone you know needs additional support:
“To all those impacted by the December 30th fires in Boulder, Superior, and Louisville, we are with you.
As we start to process the devastating losses that we have experienced, let us be reminded that the emotions we have are not any we haven’t experienced before, just not to the depth we are experiencing now. It’s okay to grieve our sense of safety, grieve the loss of beloved belongings and homes, mementos and memories.
HeartLight Center and TRU Community Care have partnered to bring you grief support resources and invite you to participate in what programs may be of help to you in navigating your grief.”
Another thing we’ve heard again and again is that very few people were notified of the evacuation order. The only way we were notified is our office got a reverse 911 recorded message at 1:40 pm that day saying to evacuate Louisville (on our land line), and it was very vague. We were not notified on our cell phones or e-mails, which was very discouraging. If you haven’t yet signed up for Boulder County emergency alerts, here’s the link to sign up:
We also encourage everyone affected in any way to remember that self care during this stressful time is very important. Don’t forget that it will help to get adjusted, have a relaxing acupuncture session, get a massage, exercise and don’t forget to do some deep breathing exercises to decrease stress. We are here for you and are ready to take good care of you!
We also wanted to let you know that we now have a new air filter at the office to help with any dust, ash, and smoke particulates in the air (the other air filters we have destroy the Covid virus and well as other germs). We have the LEVOIT Air Purifier with a HEPA filter and activated carbon filter and it eliminators odors and removes 99.97% dust, smoke, mold and pollen. We want the air quality in the office to be free of airborne contaminants.
