Timberline, HCA jumped in after winds caused problems
who wanted to charge their
phones and other
electronic devices
because power
the developing problems.
make phone calls – while a
–
eral other local businesses
were closed due to the power
able to cook the sandwiches
on a gas stove. Kara Tinucci,
who owns JKQ BBQ with
her husband, Joe, estimated
they supplied food for 25 first
responders. Bradley, his fam-
ily, and Spencer were among
those who delivered the food
to Timberline Fire Station 5 on
Highway 119 in mid-county.
lot of our vol-
unteers had no
service, includ-
ing cellphones or
electricity.”
Most Decembers, Gilpin
County’s first responders are
–
as winter arrives in the region.
Timberline
Fire Protection
District Chief
Paul Onder told
the Weekly Reg-
ister-Call that
the wind prob-
lems led to an
increase in calls
for assistance.
“We are still writ-
ing reports and
up, but prelimi
nary numbers
from Dec. 17 to
Dec. 22, [2025],
including 19 fires
(on utility poles,
trees, wildland
fires, camping
sites, etc.) and 30
line issues (no
fire). The rest
were medical calls, motor
vehicle accidents, carbon-
lines, etc.”
One of the
calls Miller made
was to Nicholas
Spencer, who
owns the Peak
to Peak Market
in Black Hawk.
When Miller
asked if Spencer
had any pre-
made sandwiches
available, Spencer
said his inventory
had been quickly
depleted by Gil
pinites who came
to the store after
losing their refrig-
erator food. How-
to donate some of
the bottled water,
he had remaining
to the HCA.
“We had sold out our sand-
wiches probably within the
first five or six hours after the
wind situation started,” re-
called Spencer. “We told Terri
got in contact with Larry
Bradley, their chef. He made a
bunch of pulled-pork sand-
wiches and other food. So, we
got those, plus the cases of
water and chips, up to the fire
department.”
However, unusually pow-
erful winds caused the most
problems this year in the
county. Between Wednesday,
Dec. 17, and Monday, Dec.
22, parts of the region were
hit by near-hurricane-force
winds of 100 miles per hour
that toppled trees, knocked
down power lines, and caused
other problems. For example,
lost power to their homes
on Wednesday, Dec. 17, and
didn’t get service back un-
til Sunday, Dec. 21. Several
Central City and Black Hawk
residents and small businesses
power outages.
Recalled Ondr, “We contact
ed HCA because the crews had
been running call to call for 15
hours with no opportunity to
cook or eat. HCA, in collabora-
tion with JKQ Barbecue, pro-
vided food to all the crews as
they continued responding, but
they were able to throw down
a few bites between calls. The
next day, Larry Koppelman
[HCA’s vice president] brought
burritos to the station. This
was awesome, as the crews
were still extremely busy.”
Without power, food spoiled
in non-running refrigerators
and freezers. Others com-
plained that their cellphone
service didn’t work for days.
Yet others couldn’t leave
their homes because the wind
blocked their driveways.
Chief Paul Ondr of Timberline Fire Protection District.
Added Miller, “We rallied
and got them fed. Those guys
at JKQ are just the best. Clare
Stone [HCA’s vice president]
was able to deliver some of the
food to Station No. 5, and the
guys were very, very happy.”
As a result, Miller began
calling HCA members and
others – whose phone service
or power wasn’t out – to or-
ganize what could be done to
help the first responders. “As
president of HCA, I’m the first
they need our assistance,” said
Miller. “Fortunately, we didn’t
have any problems with our
cellphone service down here.
I was able to scramble and
News of Gilpin’s wind-
related issues also quickly
of the High Country Auxiliary,
the nonprofit that supports
TPFD and Gilpin’s other first
responders. Miller and her
husband, Eddie, were in Mis
sissippi when they learned of
Added Chief Ondr, “As of
Dec. 26, we have responded
to 148 calls in December. We
typically average 50-60 per
month. Currently, we are at
803 calls in 2025. Before that,
our busiest year was 2017,
with 756 calls.”
The wind-related issues led
the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Of
fice to open a warming shelter
in the Gilpin County School
complex. The Black Hawk
its building to several people
