BEULAH, Colo. (KOAA) — Rosie Freeman and her daughter, Hailey Wilcox, were on the fire line when their home burned, according to a friend and cousin. LaRae Gallant and their cousin Vanessa are now rallying community support for them.
"Rosie is the strongest, most giving, selfless person I have ever, ever known... and Hailey is following right in her footsteps. I'm just so, so proud of them," Gallant told Maggy Wolanske with Scripps News Group in Denver.
Vanessa tells News5 that her cousins remain focused on protecting their community despite their personal loss.
"They're protecting our homes... they're protecting our love and our community, and everything that is important to our family and all the other families that are out there," Vanessa explained.
Gallant and Vanessa say the need for support won't end when the fire is out.
"Once the fire is done, the pain doesn't stop... everybody's still gonna be in pain and having to pick up their lives. That's when we really need to come in and just put our arms around them and support them," Gallant added
Their biggest message to the community is simple: if you see these firefighters, give them a smile, a thumbs up, and a thank you. They say that positivity means more than people realize.
News5 was able to confirm both Rosie and Hailey are volunteers with the Beaulah Fire Department. Another one of Vanessa's cousins, Matthew Ryan, also lost his home, according to Vanessa. However, News5 is still working to verify which fire department Ryan volunteers with.
A GoFundMe page was set up to benefit the family. News5 wants to make our viewers aware of GoFundMe's fee policy and refund policy. There is also an option to "tip" GoFundMe that is automatically set, and you have the choice to adjust. News5 has been in communication with the recipient of this fundraiser and they have given us permission to share it. Click here to donate.
As communities in Southern Colorado continue to deal with the devastation of wildfires across our region, News5 and the Scripps Howard Foundation are stepping in to help. Click here for info on how to donate to the Southern Colorado Wildfire Relief Fund.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Good news and bad news on the seventh largest fire in Colorado history
The good news, some evacuations have been lifted for the Aspen Acres Fire. The bad news, the fire has now destroyed more than 260 homes and burned nearly 92,000 acres, making it the seventh largest fire in state history.
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