TBM volunteer teams bring hope to Marshall Fire survivors 

Two weeks after the Marshall Fire ravaged Boulder County, Colo., more than 30 Texas Baptist Men disaster relief volunteers suited up and went to work, sifting through the ashes to bring hope to survivors.

The Dec. 30 wind-fueled fire burned more than 6,000 acres of land and destroyed 1,100 homes in less than 24 hours. Before bulldozers could clear the burned-out wreckage, homeowners needed to look through the debris if they hoped to salvage valuables that survived the fire—a monumental task for any family that just experienced such devastating loss.

Five TBM volunteers from Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo entered the scene Jan. 13 to help sift through the ashes in search of valuables.

“Everything was just burnt to nothing,” team leader Ernie McNabb said about the scene they faced each day. “Cars, trucks, three-story houses just burned to the ground.”

The remaining 22 volunteers from Southeast Texas and Collin County joined the recovery efforts in Colorado two days later. A TBM team from Harmony-Pittsburg Baptist Association relieved them shortly after.

“My first reaction was utter shock,” said Curt Neal, who led the Collin County team. “We’re talking about a whole neighborhood totally burned to the ground, every single home. It was just mind boggling.”

Volunteers divided themselves into groups of five people, and each group worked on two to three homesites each day. Workers dusted ash—and some days snow—off thousands of household goods and treasures buried deep in the rubble.

In all, the TBM teams have helped more than 100 families so far reclaim possessions from their homesites. Among the many treasures recovered was a charred jewelry box holding a ring the homeowner received as a gift from her mother decades ago.

Another irreplaceable discovery was a set of medals belonging to a Vietnam veteran homeowner. Volunteers also uncovered countless family photos, collectibles and more objects with special meanings to their owners.

“I get a real blessing out of finding stuff and helping people,” McNabb said. “It’s a way that I can serve Christ and help people in need.”

Of all the joy the team was able to bring to survivors of the fire, the most unforgettable moment was one that will have an eternal impact, Neal said.

“The best moment for me was witnessing a husband and wife accept Christ after listening to one of our chaplains give the plan of salvation,” he said. “I believe moments like that on these kinds of trips are most memorable.”