How Colorado's firefighters balance local and state needs when wildfires rage

CBS News

2 days ago

As large wildfires scorch the Colorado landscape and rising temperatures threaten to ignite more, fire departments across the state are facing a critical challenge: a delicate balancing act between helping neighbors and protecting their own backyards.
For agencies like Summit Fire & EMS, the decision to send crews and equipment to a distant fire is a constant calculation of risk.
"That's a daily decision, it's a moment-by-moment decision," explained Brandon McBride, the risk management specialist for the wildland division of Summit Fire and EMS. "When we get asked to respond to something out of this county, immediately the duty officer starts the conversation with the battalion chief, and we ask, 'do we have that capability?'"
That capability is determined by what they've got to offer, and what they'll lose by sending teams out.
"The county response is what comes first," McBride emphasized. "Being able to cover our district before anything else."
That can be based on to staffing, weather, or equipment.
The framework for sending help is built on mutual aid agreements, systems designed for rapid deployment. McBride said Summit Fire is part of two key groups: the Mountain Area Mutual Aid and the Colorado Mutual Aid System. The team sent a crew out during the initial growth of the Lee Wildfire near Meeker as the flames raced closer to town. Now the crew is back in Summit.
"The purpose behind the mutual aid agreements is that it's supposed to be fast," McBride said. "The first 24 hours or so are really important to slowing the spread of a fire, trying to keep it from getting large."
But these agreements are a two-way street, providing a crucial safety net for mountain communities.
"If and when we have a problem here, a wildfire that we need help with, they'll all come to Summit County as well," he said. "It does feel good to know that the help would come quickly."
The stakes are particularly high in Summit County. The dense forests interspersed with homes and infrastructure, known as the Wildland-Urban Interface, means any fire can quickly become a major threat. This reality plays a big part in every decision.
"When a large fire happens here, it's almost immediately a huge risk to people and property," McBride explained. "So yeah, that definitely goes into our decision on a daily basis if we're going to send people or not."
The decision is flavored by the department's wildland division daily briefings on fire and weather conditions—looking at forecasts for the next week, the next three weeks, and the very next 24 hours to constantly assess the local risk.
"You're inherently playing with safety and risk, and you're weighing it and you're accepting some of it," McBride acknowledged. But when it comes to the safety of their own community, it has to come first. "We would never make the decision to send more than we're comfortable sending to risk the coverage here."