In 2011 we suffered the Crystal Fire. This fire, which was man caused, started on Crystal Mountain south west of the Buckhorn.  Initially contained to about 20 acres, the Crystal fire was fanned by a sudden nighttime windstorm with winds reaching 70mph or more.  The fire grew to over 3000 acres in a matter of minutes and destroyed several homes.  Because the wind struck very late at night, it was a critical and life threatening situation.  The Crystal fire was the first major fire in the RCVFD area in 30 plus years.

On June 9, 2012, a lightning-sparked fire in the Buckhorn became the wind driven inferno known as the High Park fire. High Park burned over 89,000 acres and destroyed some 254 homes and countless other buildings and took 1 life.  The area was evacuated for nearly 21 days.  Two years later, RCVFD and our community is recovering – showing a determination and effort that is truly amazing.

September 2013 floods In 2013 the front range of Colorado had an extended upslope storm that dumped 14.6 inches of rain at RCVFD station 1. This storm caused a 500-1000 year flood event that destroyed roads and properties up and down the Colorado front range.  Because of High Park, and the expected flooding that comes after a wildland fire, RCVFD and our residents weathered the flood better than most.  We had been preparing for flooding from the High Park burn for a year.  Still, of the 3 roads in the RCVFD area, only Rist Canyon Road survived and it was damaged.  Since then, Rist Canyon, Stove Prairie and the upper Buckhorn roads have been repaired (though the upper Buckhorn is a temporary repair).  The lower Buckhorn remains closed.  That road will be rebuilt during 2014.

hrough all these events, the men and women of RCVFD and the community we live in rallied and responded.  The High Park fire response is a model of response and interagency cooperation.  The years of planning and training at RCVFD, and work in our community, paid off during High Park.  While it was an event without parallel, it was a model of human resources.  After High Park, RCVFD Chief Robert Gann was awarded the first ever Wildland Safety Exemplary Service Award by the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) at the 2013 Backyards and Beyond conference.

RCVFD is a 100% donation-based volunteer fire department.  We achieve this through  donations grants, and various fund raising events.  Since RCVFD is a 501(c)3 all donations are tax-deductible.  From the construction of our firehouses, the purchases of equipment and clothing all the way to our volunteers that are on the front lines, RCVFD provides a model what can happen when a community supports and cares for its fire department.

 RCVFD responds to between 50 and 100 calls per year.  Currently, the mixture is about 50/50 fire/medical (rescue).  RCVFD is a classic Wildland Urban Interface (houses in the woods) fire department and faces all the challenges created by that. As the population density and number of visitors to our area increases, RCVFD continues to see a more diverse set of responses and a higher level of expectation.  It is important that, if you visit or live in a rural area such as RCVFD’s response area, you understand the limitations imposed upon emergency response by that area.  The fact that we have no hydrant system and must deal with diverse weather and topography and long travel distances (not to mention volunteer staff) means that RCVFD will probably never provide the 4-minute response expected in town.  This means that we (RCVFD and the community) must work together to provide appropriate and timely responses.  RCVFD is committed to providing the very best professional emergency services we can and we continually strive to improve or expand our services.  Your support is critical.

May 7th is National Wildfire Prevention Week

RCVFD will be hosting an open house.  Still to be organized, there should be a number of Wildfire profressionals to discuss topics such as 

Fire Adapted Communities 

Firewise 

Defensible Space

What to do in the event of another willdfire

What can RCVFD do and not do to help with a wildfire 

Also, a number of plants will be planted at the Firehouse by volunteers to show how landscapes that are fire resistant. 

Hope to see you there 

 

For more information contact Lori@RCVFD 

For more information on the National Community Prepardness Day click here 

 

Station 4, which burned in the High Park Fire in 2012, had its grand opening in Whale Rock on October 13, 2015. Thanks to all those who donated time, effort, and materials to make rebuilding Station 4 a reality. Special thanks go to FCI Constructors and RMMI.

 

Station 4 houses engines 641 and 642, and is designed to meet ISO 9 certification requirements. That means that residents in the Whale Rock area may be able to get significant breaks on their home insurance. We are currently working on formally receiving that ISO 9 certification. Once it's complete, talk to your insurance agent!

 

For more information on our fire stations and the equipment at each one, have a look at Homeowner Information.