NEDERLAND, Colo. (KDVR) – Tonight residents of Holland are deeply saddened by the loss of an integral part of the city and, for many, their way of life.
Caribou Village Shopping Center has been home to a handful of Holland’s businesses, with some saying it was perhaps the most frequented part of town among locals wondering what’s next for this small community.
Larry Starkey has been living in the Netherlands for a decade.
“Nice, small, close-knit community,” he said.
More than 12 hours after the fire swept through the shopping centre, smoke still obscured views of the nearby mountain peaks, and people who came to watch were stunned.
“It hit us hard,” Starkey said.
While most visitors would opt for the shops and restaurants on the street, for those who called Holland home, this was the city centre.
“This is the heart of Holland here,” Starkey said.
Camille Lefavere, another Holland resident, said most people in the city have a connection to the shopping mall. According to her, her friend’s mother owned a yoga studio there.
“It’s scary and sad,” he told Pfeiffer.
Many of her friends missed school on Thursday as well because they had to evacuate for fear of the fire spreading.
“I called my friends who live in the city immediately because I thought the whole city was about to catch fire,” he told Pfeiffer.
The nearby houses were miraculously left untouched, as were the nearby historic train cars, and the animals on the Happiness Carousel peered out the window, thankful to have been saved.
“I’m just glad that everything around us didn’t catch fire and the fire didn’t spread to different homes at any point,” Starkey said.
While the shopping center may be the heart of Holland, the people are its soul, and Starkey says its close-knit community will move forward together.
“You have to take it day by day and get through it the best you can, you know?” Starkey said.
There are already several GoFundMe pages organized to raise money for affected business owners. Starkey says anyone who is hurting just needs to ask for help and he has no doubt that the city, including himself, will be there for them.