A community picnic on Sunday will give residents a chance to gather to remember the massive blaze that devastated Black Forest five years ago.

The picnic will be from 1:30 – 4 p.m. at Black Forest Regional Park, according to a news release from El Paso County.

June 11 will mark five years since the outbreak of the Black Forest fire, which destroyed nearly 500 homes and burned more than 14,000 acres. The blaze claimed the lives of area residents Marc and Robin Herklotz, Schriever Air Force Base engineers who died as they packed their belongings and waited for evacuation orders.

The destruction came just a year after the Waldo Canyon fire erupted, covering more than 18,000 acres, killing two people and destroying about 350 homes on Colorado Springs’ west side.

“We don’t want to call this an anniversary. It’s really more of a recognition,” county Commissioner Darryl Glenn, whose district includes Black Forest, said in a statement. “We’ve gone through a lot. We still have a long way to go. But I am so proud how the Black Forest community has rallied and continues to work together (to) move forward.”

The picnic will feature live music from Blue Steel, the pop music ensemble of the Air Force Academy Band, games, ice cream and food trucks. Jon Karroll from KRDO News Channel 13 will be the master of ceremonies, and speakers from the county, Black Forest Together, and the local community will address the crowd.

An exhibit will focus on the fire and the area’s recovery, and booths will offer more information about ongoing rebuilding and recovery efforts. Fire Department apparatus, mitigation equipment and the El Paso-Teller 911 Authority’s interactive training trailer will also be on display.

Attendees may bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnic games. Alcohol is not allowed in the park. People may bring leashed pets, but park staff asks that they pick up after their animals.