Boulder County Bombers' Practice Facility Catches Fire

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

On Sunday, June 10, the Boulder County Bombers' practice facility, otherwise known as "The Barn" caught fire.

An electrical fire started in the kitchen/lounge area and the "whole lounge area is destroyed, and the wall connecting to our skating space was definitely damaged, along with the entire roof," stated Jude E. Boom, current league president and member of the Boulder County Bombers team.

"It was a tragic accident, and we are coming together to support our skaters, and especially the property owner. A number of our skaters lost their skates & gear, which are expensive to replace. We also lost all of our items that we use for our games, a new skating surface that we just purchased for about $8,000, our concession items, and lots of sentimental things," says Boom.

The Bombers hope to repair or rebuild "The Barn," however if the building is not repairable they will begin looking for a long-term space to practice in. In the meantime, they are searching for a temporary practice facility.

When asked how this will affect the remainder of their season, Boom replied, "We are not 100% sure just yet, but it will primarily impact our ability to practice as much as we normally do. We are looking at alternative skating spaces in areas like Brighton and Fort Collins (local rinks) and some outside time."

The roller derby season for the Bombers' A Team (The All Stars), spans from January and into August, provided the team qualifies for the tournament. The B Team, The Bombshells, will play through mid-September. At the end of The Bombshells' season the Bombers will host a tournament.

If you would like to see the Bombers in action their next home game is on Saturday, June 23 at the Boulder County Fairgrounds. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and the first whistle sounds at 5:30 p.m. Funds will be raised during the event to assist with the rebuilding and replacing efforts.

The Boulder County Bombers have two fundraisers in place if members of the community wish to help.

• For the Boulder County Bombers (a 501(c)(3) org: https://fundly.com/help-the-boulder-county-bombers-rebuild-after-a-fire

• For the property owner, to replace feed for her animals and other losses: https://www.facebook.com/donate/148682809184409/2542648499294500/