Over the weekend, we saw Douglas County’s investment in wildfire mitigation resources in action.
Beginning around 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 13, South Metro Fire Rescue received multiple reports of spot fires ranging from Chatfield to Louviers. Crews from Douglas County’s Helitack team, South Metro Fire Rescue, West Metro Fire Rescue, Castle Rock Fire Department, West Douglas Fire, Jackson 105 and Franktown Fire responded swiftly.
By the next morning on Monday, July 14, the fire was 90% contained at 130 acres. No injuries to residents or fire crews have been reported, and no structural damage has occurred.
“This is an example of where preparation meets purpose,” said Commissioner Abe Laydon, Founder and Chair of the Douglas County Wildfire Action Collaborative and Chairman of the Board of Douglas County Commissioners. “We are the only county in the State of Colorado that has year-round aerial firefighting support. I’m incredibly proud of Douglas County and our Helitack team. This would have been catastrophic otherwise. Tremendous thanks to our men and women in fire protection.”
This year, the Board of Douglas County Commissioners invested $1.8 million to ensure the helicopter and team were available in Douglas County throughout the entire year. The availability of Douglas County’s Helitack team and helicopter were pivotal in this situation, according to emergency response leaders.
“Public safety is our top priority, and we are grateful for the rapid coordination among all agencies involved. The Douglas County helicopter and helitack team were critical in saving lives and property,” said Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly. “The chopper was in the air within 10 minutes of the first report of fire. Over the course of the day, the helicopter completed 88 water drops, dropping a total of 26,400 gallons of water on the fire. You can imagine how bad the fire would’ve been had that resource not been available. I am grateful, and the citizens of Douglas County should be grateful that our commissioners are willing to make that investment for public safety in Douglas County.”
“The Airport Fire was a rapidly evolving incident that burned across multiple, geographic areas and presented significant dangers to our community and our residents. South Metro firefighters responded with decisive action and strong coordination, successfully containing the fire and limiting damage,” said South Metro Fire Rescue Chief John Curtis. “We are grateful for the dedication of our crews and the critical support provided by our mutual aid partners throughout this complex response. All residents are encouraged to take action to protect their own homes and property from wildfire.”
To support these efforts, Douglas County is bringing back its Wildfire Mitigation Cost-Share program, which will provide a 50% financial match to homeowners up to $10,000 to help them provide defensible space, reduce hazards and increase community safety and resilience to wildfires.
Learn more about the County’s collaborative hard, heavy and fast response to wildfire in this video.