Repairs nearly completed after 4-H pen electrical fire

RANGELY I In just over a week, workers have nearly completed rebuilding the 4-H pen that burned in an electrical fire May 5, killing several 4-H project pigs and severely damaging the structure.
A roustabout crew hired by WPX Energy has replaced wood framing, added a tin roof and siding, hung gutters, placed wire and boards between pens and tilled new sand into the pens, 4-H coordinator Jayda Lewis said this week.
She hopes the second phase of construction, an addition to the pen’s east end, will begin soon, with electrical work scheduled for August, after animals have gone to the county fair. Who will add to the building and wire the electricity has not been determined.
Some pigs have already settled into their new homes with others scheduled to arrive soon.
“I’m speechless at how fast it came together,” Lewis said of the construction work, which she initially estimated would take a month or more to complete. “I didn’t expect it (to be finished) until the end of June, beginning of July. Families are excited; they’re telling me how much they appreciate everyone’s help.”
Kris Denny, whose 14-year-old daughter, Klaire, lost her pig in the fire, can speak to that firsthand.
“I just couldn’t believe it; so many people have supported the group,” Denny said. “The response has been so awesome for these kids. It was a tragedy, but it … really showed me, ‘Wow, people are just great.’”
Dozens of individual and business donors have contributed to the rebuilding effort, from donating funds for new pigs and supplies to sending gift cards to help with expenses.
Lewis said approximately half of the children’s project supplies are now covered, with additional funding still needed for those and construction material costs.
The group continues to accept donations at the Rangely 4-H Council Office in the Rio Blanco County Annex Building, at First National Bank of the Rockies or at donation jars located in local businesses. For more information, contact Lewis at 970-878-9499.