Betty Merchant, a longtime member of the Pikes Peak Historical Society and a docent for the museum, has donated a wooden carved bear to the museum that was made as a symbol of the Hayman Fire.

The Coalition of the Upper South Platte said they were given a larger version. In talking with several people, the details are sketchy due to the lapse of time since the creation of these bears. The only information learned has been that a Woodland Park resident Bill Lawson, who owned a carving business called “Tree People,” carved the bears using wood from the Hayman Fire burn area.

The bears were sold at various places, and Merchant says she purchased hers from an Arts and Crafts show in Salida.

“I thought he was cute and because the money was going toward restoration efforts in the burn scar, I bought one,” she said.

The Hayman fire is a significant part of the area’s history. The fire was named for a mining ghost town near Tappan Gulch, which is about 1.5 miles southwest of Tappan Mountain on the south side of County Highway 77 in Park County.

At the time, the Hayman fire was the largest fire in Colorado history but has since been surpassed by other blazes.

The Hayman fire started in Park County on June 8, 2002, and covered parts of Douglas, Jefferson, Park, and Teller counties and was 22 miles southwest of Denver and 35 miles northwest of Colorado Springs. The fire was contained on June 28 after burning 137,760 acres.

Hundreds of firefighters from across Colorado and other states participated in fighting the fire, which cost nearly $40 million. The fire burned 133 homes and forced the evacuation of 5,340 people. One civilian died as a result of the fire and five firefighters died from injuries sustained from a June 21 traffic accident enroute to the fire from Oregon.

Most of the burn area was within Pike National Forest and was started by Terry Barton, a forestry technician with the United States Forest Service. She set a fire in a campfire ring and the fire quickly spread out of control. A federal grand jury indicted Barton on four felony counts of arson.

Hayme Junior currently sits next to the bench near the front entrance of the museum until a suitable display is established.

“We’re really happy Hayme found a home in the PPHS museum. The Hayman Fire left a profound imprint on the community, and he will help us keep that memory alive.” said Scott Adams, PPHS Board President. “Hayme will be a great ambassador, and we look forward to helping him showcase so many of the really unique artifacts, gems and minerals and the characters and stories of Florissant’s past.”