Ridgway Volunteers, Community Form Team 'Just Wanting to Help'

In Ridgway, wildfire evacuees, volunteers, and community partners are proving that the strongest response begins with neighbors helping neighbors

Smoke rises from a fire burning in the distance beyond mountains, with cars and buildings in the foreground

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The Gold Mountain Fire started June 27 near Ouray, and volunteers and community members in Ridgway sprang into action to help evacuees have a safe place to stay. Photo by Sara Smith, American Red Cross.

A Red Cross volunteer wearing a mask stands outside next to stairs

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For Sara Smith, who recently moved to Ridgway from the Front Range, the response to the Gold Mountain Fire summed up the definition of a true team: people who simply want to help. Photo by Roger Enix, American Red Cross

A red Red Cross trailer outside of a building

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Regardless of disaster size or location, volunteers from the Red Cross are always ready to respond across Colorado, Wyoming and the U.S. Photo by Roger Enix, American Red Cross

July 06, 2026

By Roger Enix, American Red Cross

After more than five days of operations at the shelter in Ridgway, Colorado, Red Cross volunteers, local community partners and even the clients themselves were still pitching in to support area residents displaced by the Gold Mountain Fire.

When the fire ignited just north of Ouray on June 27, local volunteers quickly sprang into action, opening a Red Cross shelter at Ridgway Secondary School for evacuated residents. Local businesses also provided food, water, and snacks so area families wouldn't have to worry about meeting their basic needs while Red Cross volunteers coordinated with the Ridgway Secondary School administration to provide a safe place for families to stay during the disruption.

That spirit of service extends beyond the volunteers. Displaced area residents Jay and Kathy returned to the shelter to pick up N95 masks to help protect themselves from smoky conditions as shifting winds continue to carry smoke from the nearby wildfire. While they appreciated the masks, they were equally eager to ask how they could help others who might be less fortunate than themselves — even while they remained evacuated from their own home.

Shelter volunteer Sara Smith summed up the definition of a true team: people who simply want to help.

"Having just moved to Ridgway from the Front Range, I'm so happy with the local Red Cross volunteers who responded so quickly to open our shelter. It's been such a great team effort to support our community's needs. Several local businesses quickly partnered with the Red Cross to provide food and help get the shelter operational. Great partners, great team effort."

With multiple major wildfires burning across Colorado this summer, the Red Cross is proud to work alongside volunteers, community partners and neighbors who continue to demonstrate what it means to be a true team — just wanting to help.