Last Saturday’s fire in Yampa left a huge hole in its the history and main street. People lost their homes and livelihood, but no one was seriously injured. Amazing!

That being said, I’d like to send a huge “thank you” to the firefighters of Yampa and Oak Creek.  


Bill and Cathie Voorhees’ house is directly behind the hotel (my mother and step-father). My husband’s pickup (his pride and joy) was parked almost between the two properties. My husband, Jeff, pulled into Yampa at about 1 a.m. Saturday night/Sunday morning, after taking the folks to Arizona for the winter. He was returning to Yampa to retrieve his truck and return my step-dad’s truck. 

The fire was in full blaze. A firefighter went inside my mother’s house with my husband to look for hot spots, but my husband was unable to get anywhere near the beloved pickup.

On Sunday, we returned to Yampa to survey damage to the parent’s house and to lament the loss of the favored vehicle.

 We are still in awe. The house smells like smoke, but has no burn damage. Several windows are cracked from the heat, but not broken out. The pickup, covered in ice and burned-out embers, was perfect after an hour at the car wash.



I will give thanks to supernatural powers (thank you, Jesus!) but also give credit to the skill and training of the firefighters of South Routt.

If you have a chance, go for a drive to Yampa and see the destruction of the hotel. Also look around at the buildings that these brave and skillful firefighters were able to save. 
I am sure that you, too, will appreciate the work that these men and women accomplished that night.



From Arizona, Bill and Cathie send their sincere “thanks.” They have yet to see what you all have done to save their home.



Thank you so much, South Routt firefighters!

Jeff and Sharon Sexton


Bill and Cathie Voorhees

Steamboat Springs