Personal Narrative: Routt County

At the rightful age of thirteen and three days, I learned of the fine line between what was and was not important in life. My home was a wind gust and a dirt road away from being burned down all while the next three years of my life were waiting two miles away. While juggling the events of the county fair on Saturday, August 17, 2013, I looked over my shoulder to see a sight I never wished to see, black smoke. A view seldom seen until then but everyone knew exactly what it was from and where it originated. It had been a dry summer with little rain, and when heat, dry ungrazed grass, and sparks combine, the only result is a wild fire. A fire so strong a powerful that it spread from ridge to ridge in a matter of hours and threatened many homes but only claimed one historical windmill. …show more content…
However, I had to evacuate my home. I left my horse to a friend and my grandparents rushed me home to meet my parents. I had thought it was too late, the sheriff stopped us a mile from home and told us that he could not allow any traffic through and that we would have to drive 25 miles around to get up the hill, until he saw me screaming in the back seat. I was terrified and all I remember saying was, “My cat, my cat, my cat is at my house!”. After two minutes we were let through and I raced into my house. I knew that all I wanted was two special items; a truck magnet and a single picture, both of my late father. When I had those in my hand I realized the things I physically needed, like clothes and money. It all happened so fast that I thought I had everything since what wasn’t in my hand was already loaded, like my