On the eighth anniversary of the most destructive fire in the history of Colorado, dozens of community members gathered Friday evening to remember all that was lost and learn ways to ensure it doesn't happen again.
"That's what today is about, is 'remember, so it doesn't happen again,'" volunteer Kelly Marchbank said.
She said the community nestled among the evergreens north of Colorado Springs still scars blaze, on the land and in the minds of residents.
"There are a lot of people who lost everything," she said. There are still people struggling."
Starting June 11, 2013, the Black Forest Fire raged through the Black Forest community for nine days before it was contained, destroying nearly 500 homes and taking the lives of two people.