Some Lyons residents came together Saturday to discuss how to deal with their emotions related to the recent Stone Canyon Fire north of town, participate in calming activities and find out about available community resources in an event put on by the nonprofit group Lyons Elevating All Fund.

Investigators have not yet identified a cause of the fire, which started on July 30, killed one person and burned five homes and more than 1,500 acres. Many residents were forced to evacuate their homes during the fire, which comes during the 10-year anniversary year of a 2013 flood that heavily impacted Lyons homes and infrastructure as well as others along the Front Range.

The LEAF nonprofit group serves as a human services safety net for the greater Lyons community, offering essential resources to those in need, people involved in the event said. Saturday’s event of about 20 people was at the library and was one of a couple of events put together by residents recently, including fundraisers for firefighters.

Kim Henzy, a LEAF board chair member, started the event with a body scan grounding exercise, where participants closed their eyes and noticed how their bodies felt, starting from the toes and moving to the head.

“Body scans are great for all sorts of things that aren’t just grounding. It can really support you connecting with your body and taking the focus from the thoughts spinning around in your head and bring them down into the body, which is where the stress and emotions live,” said Henzy.

Community members were invited to share their experiences and stories. LEAF representatives also provided resources on mental health and wellness, ensuring that attendees had access to the tools they might need to navigate the coming weeks and months.

Cherie Maureaux, LEAF’s mental wellness and addiction recovery program director, said people’s common reactions to disasters can include anger, sadness, guilt, headaches, physical pain, trouble sleeping and difficulty focusing.

“We might be snapping at our partner more so now than a month ago, and I want us to validate our emotions and experiences and recognize what’s going on,” said Maureaux. “It’s important for us to regulate our emotions in the moment so that we’re able to function in stressful situations and afterwards.”

Maureaux also said that everyone has the right to care about mental health.

“Everyone in town was affected by this at different levels, and everyone processes things differently,” Maureaux said.

Another LEAF therapist, Christopher Peraro, a licensed professional counselor, emphasized the importance of using grounding exercises to manage stress.

“Grounding exercises help keep us calm in stressful situations and keep us in the present moment when experiencing anxious reactions to trauma,” he said.

LEAF’s offices are at 350 Main St. The offices include the Lyons Community Food Pantry.

“The heart of grounding is learning to stand on our own two feet, and when we do that together, we are even more powerful,” Peraro said.