As residents at the north end of Summit County continue to advocate for a fire station in Silverthorne, the Summit Fire & EMS board met to discuss the next steps of creating a solution. Fire Chief Travis Davis said the first priority is to have a truck housed somewhere in town in order to help with insurance ratings, since residents north of a 5-mile radius of the Dillon station have a lower rating.
Over the past several weeks, increased concern from residents have been voiced about fire department response times in Silverthorne — especially with congestion happening at Exit 205 on Interstate 70. One option would be to have a kind of station called a surge station. While more than a truck in a garage, it still would not have full-time staff and would instead pull either a medic unit or engine from whatever jurisdiction is facing the least amount of calls.
At Summit Fire and EMS Station 12, wildland fire coordinator Kyle Iseminger and other firefighters are getting ready for the fall season by preparing for wildfires. “The fall could be an interesting time for fires,” said Iseminger. Much of the summer moisture is slowing, leaving behind extra-long vegetation that’s now drying out and taking the fire danger from low to high in just a few days. Read more ...
Summit Fire & EMS crews responded just after 10 p.m. to a small fire above the Dillon Archery range for a wildfire. Earlier in the evening, the crew at Station 8 overheard a loud clap of thunder that coincided with a lightning strike in the area.
This summer has brought steady rain to much of Colorado. Summit Fire & EMS Community Resource Officer Steve Lipsher said this has helped make for a pretty mild fire season. "I can’t recall a time when we have gone into mid-August with our wildfire danger dropping from moderate to low," Lipsher said. All that rain might be great for reducing the fire danger, but it’s also been great at growing vegetation and grass that’s several feet tall. This could lead to an active fire season this fall. Story by Matt Renoux/KUSA-9News
It’s a question of when, not if the next wildfire comes, and as Hamilton Creek resident Pat Gunckel -- who was evacuated during last year's Ptarmigan Fire -- knows, preparation now can make all the difference in the world for when the next one happens. Small steps to protect the home can be imperative, or as firefighters put it: “Any one thing you do that can keep fire from reaching your home may be the one thing that saves your home.” Summit Fire & EMS officials conduct free risk assessments for the community.
Warm weather, clear skies and long days means its time to get outside and into the forests around Summit County, but it also means it’s time to watch for wildfire risks. So how should campers, glampers and general gallivanters prepare for a weekend in the wilderness? Members of Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District and Summit Fire & EMS answered some of those questions this week as Colorado enters into what state officials predict will be an “above-normal” year for wildfires.