When the Waldo Canyon Fire swept through the community of Mountain Shadows on June 26, 2012, burning 346 homes, many thought the property values would never recover. Homeowners who had lost their homes struggled with the decision of whether or not to rebuild their home. Some who lost their homes moved to other neighborhoods in town to start fresh or moved out of town. Others decided to take a chance and rebuild despite the negative outlook on the recovery of the neighborhood.
One year later, there is visible improvement in Mountain Shadows. Some homeowners who decided to stay and rebuild have been able to move into their new homes. There were even newly rebuilt homes that have been featured in this year's annual Parade of Homes that takes place every August. These featured homes range in price from $800 to $1 million. Other newly rebuilt homes in Mountain Shadows range in price from the $200's to $300,000's.
Colorado Springs was unfortunate enough to have had another devastating fire in less than one year; the Black Forest Fire which started on June 12, 2013 and burned almost 500 homes. What happened in the recovery of Mountain Shadows will be a template for what can happen in Black Forest. If Mountain Shadows can bounce back, so can Black Forest.