29-01-2025
Westminster firefighters return from battling Southern California wildfires
Westminster, Colo. (KDVR) – Firefighters from Westminster are finally getting some rest back at home after spending two weeks in southern California helping with the battle against the wildfires.
Three members of Westminster's wildland fire team were among the 18 total first responders deployed. They represented a number of agencies from around the Denver metro area. Once they offered to go to California on Jan. 11, they had a three-hour window to get ready and head out.
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Greg Frakes was one of those firefighters with Westminster. He said that once they arrived they checked in at base camp and got their assignment to the Palisade Fire.
'Pretty impressive to see. It's something that's comparable to our Marshall Fire that we had locally but on a much larger scale. The devastation was intense, but as for us we weren't active in the fire front that was the local resources, we were more working in a support role. Entire neighborhoods burning up to the oceanfront was something I would have never imagined,' Frakes said.
That support role meant they'd be cleaning vegetation to secure the perimeter of the fire, patrolling neighborhoods, helping hot spot coordination and other tactics to stop the spread
They were there for 14 days working 24 hours on and 24 hours off, but they were always at the ready sleeping on cots, in tents close to the fire in case there was ever any overnight reignition.
'Being able to give our experience and knowledge wherever we can and not just keeping it in Colorado, it's nice to be able to help our neighboring states,' Frakes said.
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