Lee fire effects hit Colorado ranchers' wallets, livelihood

Cattle feverishly mooed in the middle of the early August night, an unusual sound to hear at that hour.

Their unease was brought on by the Lee fire, which was quickly encroaching upon their enclosure at the 103-year-old Halandras family ranch, about 23 miles south of Meeker.

The wildfire that started from lightning strikes on Aug. 2 was devouring prime northwestern Colorado grazing land that the family — and other ranchers — rely on faster than emergency crews could contain a stable fire line.

Regas K. Halandras recalled family members and ranch hands jumping into action for some "midnight cowboying" that night as they corralled the herd. The sky above them glowed orange and red, smoke billowing skyward from the burning sagebrush.

"Luckily, my brother's cows were evacuated before the r