{"id":130471,"date":"2026-05-25T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/how-fire-agencies-across-southwest-colorado-work-together-to-get-ahead-of-wildfire-season\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T05:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T11:00:00","slug":"how-fire-agencies-across-southwest-colorado-work-together-to-get-ahead-of-wildfire-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/how-fire-agencies-across-southwest-colorado-work-together-to-get-ahead-of-wildfire-season\/","title":{"rendered":"How fire agencies across Southwest Colorado work together to get ahead of wildfire season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Wildland
Wildland firefighters head out into the Elkhorn Fire in 2025. County government, utility providers, local fire departments and state and federal firefighting agencies are feeling well-equipped and coordinated ahead of the 2026 peak wildfire season. It is equally important for residents and summer visitors to adhere to fire restrictions and take precautions to avoid starting a wildfire. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald file)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

With the arrival of summer comes the reminder that a pronounced wildfire season across the West is swiftly approaching.<\/p>\n

In La Plata County, fire departments, utility providers, and county, state and federal agencies have been coordinating with one another to prepare. That is why they are feeling well-equipped to respond should a blaze break out.<\/p>\n

Rob Farino, director of the La Plata County Office of Emergency Management, said his office and the county\u2019s emergency responders are well aware of the challenges faced by the heightened likelihood of fire, brought on by recent low-snow winters and hotter, dryer summers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are coming off two really dry winters, and we\u2019re one really windy day away from a really bad day, so we\u2019re holding our breath and hoping that doesn\u2019t happen,\u201d Farino said. \u201cBut I think we\u2019re all feeling optimistic. We are in the business of preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

National Forest Service spokeswoman Lorena Williams said part of that optimism comes from the fact that Southwest Colorado\u2019s peak wildfire season typically lasts from May to July. That is earlier than other parts of the country; the Pacific Northwest, for examples, usually enters its peak danger period in July.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe tend to not have to compete for national resources quite as much as we would if we were having fires in late August,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n

Of course, wildfires have flared up in August. But she said local firefighters should have the federal resources they need as Southwest Colorado moves into its peak wildfire season.<\/p>\n

Williams said there is a multiagency group \u2013 called the Durango Zone Board \u2013 that meets weekly to assess the appropriate response to wildfire risk. The board follows the Durango Fire Business Calculator, which brings in drought, weather and fuels data, in addition to calculating the values that could be in danger.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat group assigns fire resources accordingly,\u201d Williams said. \u201cIt\u2019s also the group that determines when fire restrictions might be implemented based on scientific data.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those agencies include federal entities like the Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management, state partners like the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, local fire protection districts, La Plata County\u2019s government and utility providers like La Plata County Electric Association.<\/p>\n

Williams said that multiple agencies across jurisdictions will coordinate to share resources and personnel to make sure they have what they need to respond in the event of a wildfire.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not all operating independently,\u201d she said. \u201cWe coordinate (on) all levels of firefighting, from basic training to leadership and decision-making.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, fire departments throughout La Plata County have fully staffed their wildland fire crews for the summer, and have even brought on crews earlier or hired more personnel ahead of the summer.<\/p>\n

\"Two
Two Erickson Aero Tanker MD-87s sit at the Durango Air Tanker Base at the north end of the Durango-La Plata County Airport in 2025. The aircraft stationed at the tanker base are ready to go into action at a moment\u2019s notice if needed for a wildland fire. The base opened May 15. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald file)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Upper Pine River Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Greg French said his department had hired on a six-person seasonal wildland fire crew, who is currently contracted to the Forest Service. On top of that, each firefighter at Upper Pine is certified in both wildland and structure firefighting, and that each of the department\u2019s three stations have a brush rig and a wildland engine.<\/p>\n

French said interagency collaboration is an asset in itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to (work together), because we\u2019re fairly small departments,\u201d French said. \u201cWe all lean on each other and share a lot of information.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scott Nielsen, Durango Fire Protection District\u2019s wildfire battalion chief, agreed, saying this level of cooperation is uncommon. DFPD brought on 20 wildland firefighters back in March. And, like each of the firefighting entities in the county, Nielsen said DFPD shares resources with other departments to respond to a fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a pretty unusual place (because of) how well people collaborate and work together here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the Durango-La Plata County Air Tanker Base, where firefighting aircraft are stationed, has officially opened for the season.<\/p>\n

Williams said there will be wildfires this season; they often start naturally by things like lightning strikes. It\u2019s up to people to avoid adding to the danger.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know we\u2019re going to have fires,\u201d Farino said. \u201cSo let\u2019s just keep them small. Let\u2019s mitigate the risk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Residents and summer visitors obeying fire restrictions, performing home fuels mitigation and fully extinguishing unattended campfires are all ways to avoid starting wildfires, which is an equally crucial part of the preparation for fire season.<\/p>\n

Williams said that because most human-caused wildfires start on roads before moving into forestland, securing trailer chains, installing spark arrestors and not welding or grinding over flammable material is important. Additionally, mowing lawns during high-humidity periods \u2013 like early in the morning \u2013 and always having a fire extinguisher on-hand can further reduce risk.<\/p>\n

Farino said having a go-bag and keeping crucial paperwork \u2013 such as insurance, health and monetary records \u2013 easily accessible in the event of an evacuation can help residents stay prepared.<\/p>\n

sedmondson@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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