NEDERLAND, Colo. (KDVR) — Nederland residents tonight are heartbroken about the loss of an integral part of town and for many, their way of life.
The Caribou Village shopping center was home to a handful of businesses in Nederland, with some saying it was probably the most frequented part of town among locals who are left wondering what comes next for this small community.
Larry Starkey has lived in Nederland for a decade.
“Nice, small, tight-knit community,” he said.
More than 12 hours after the fire tore through the shopping center, smoke still clouded views to the nearby mountain peaks and people coming by to look were left in disbelief.
“It really hit us hard,” Starkey said.
While most visitors may opt for the shops and restaurants down the street, for those who call Nederland home, this was the center of town.
“This is the heart of Nederland right here,” Starkey said.
Camille Lefaiver, another Nederland resident, said most people in town have a connection to the shopping center. For her, her friend’s mom owned a yoga studio there.
“It’s just, like, scary and sad,” Lefaiver said.
Many of her friends missed school on Thursday as well because they had to evacuate over the fear that the fire might spread.
“I called my friends who live in town immediately because I thought, like, the entire town was about to catch on fire,” Lefaiver said.
Nearby homes were miraculously left untouched, so were historic train cars nearby, and the animals on the Carousel of Happiness peered out the window, thankful to be spared.
“I’m just glad that everything around didn’t catch and fire didn’t spread into different homes at whatnot,” Starkey said.
While the shopping center may have been the heart of Nederland, the people are its soul, and Starkey says his tight-knit community will move forward together.
“You’ve got to take it day by day and get through it the best you can, you know?” Starkey said.
There are already multiple GoFundMe pages organized to raise money for the business owners impacted. Starkey says anyone hurting just needs to ask for help and he has no doubt the town, himself included, will be there for them.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
