This page provides general information about how Colorado wildfires are managed and how you can stay informed. It provides a list of local resources to direct you to the answers you need. The different agencies involved each have specific responsibilities. Use this page to find out where to look for evacuation updates, fire statistics, how to donate to people affected and agencies involved in the relief, and much more.     

Wildfires, like all incidents, can grow beyond the capacity of local resources. Emergency agencies across the country work together as part of a system, a system that can expand and shrink as needed. This could entail Poudre Fire Authority being dispatched to assist a neighboring community on a grassfire or a certified wildfire crew being deployed to a wildfire in another state. An Incident Management Team is made up of emergency professionals from local, state, and federal agencies. They can include everyone from firefighters to communications specialists, and meteorologists to land management experts. These interagency teams manage the resources, logistics, communications, finances, safety, and overall collaboration of the many moving parts of an emergency response. If a commander on scene determines a bulldozer is needed in the middle of forest, or 100 additional firefighters should support building a fire line, this team makes it happen. An Incident Management Team provides updates to the community, tracks expenses, and feeds responders. It expands the resources available on an incident and streamlines their delivery and use.

The members of an Incident Management Team are deployed, much like a firefighter, to incidents. Deployments are both rewarding and exhausting. They typically last about two weeks but can vary. Members of the teamwork around the clock, often sleep in tents in open fields, and set up complex and high performing offices in whatever space they can arrange.

This emergency notification system is specifically for Larimer County Colorado. The service is entirely free. You can quickly sign up to receive customized emergency alerts. You determine how and where to receive emergency notifications. You can have alerts sent to your home, mobile or business phone, email address, and more. You can also set which types of notifications you would like to receive. The system can send you critical information for severe weather, floods, wildfires, missing persons, and evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods.

Sign up for NoCo Alerts

InciWeb, or the Incident Information System, is an interagency all-risk incident information management system. According to the website, the system was developed to provide the public with a single source of incident related information and provide a standardized reporting tool for the people working in public information.

This website works like a real-time database of active wildfires. You can go to the site, type the name of the wildfire into the search bar, and see the follow information and more.

• Current fire activity
• An Incident Overview
• The size of the fire
• The percentage of containment
• Contact information for questions
• Maps, photos, and videos
• Links to additional channels featuring fire information such as fire specific Facebook pages and YouTube channels

The Cameron Peak Fire and the East Troublesome Fire have robust pages on InciWeb which offer all this information and more.

InciWeb - Incident Information System

Large wildfires have extensive information on social media. This often includes an incident-specific Facebook page, multiple outlets providing information through Twitter, and hashtags that are used extensively by both responding agencies and the community. Larger incidents will likely have their own hashtag and even social media pages such as the Cameron Peak Fire page linked below. 

Cameron Peak Fire Facebook Page

The US Forest Service Arapaho Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland provides updates through Twitter. @usfsclrd

Larimer County and the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office provide information about mandatory and voluntary evacuations. They provide all associated updates as well. Notifications (text, news releases, etc.) are sent out whenever an evacuation is issued or altered. For example, if a new area is added or a mandatory evacuation is changed to a voluntary evacuation, notifications will be sent.  

The Larimer County Resource page includes the following information.

·  Active Fire Updates

·  Local Resource Guide

·  Shelter & Housing

·  Returning to your property

·  Mental Health

·  Health & Wellbeing

·  Clean Up

·  Rebuilding

·  Insurance, Finances, Mail (election ballots) & Important Documents

·  Flood Risks

·  Donations and Volunteers

Poudre Fire Authority is thankful to serve such a generous community. We receive many thoughtful offers year-round but especially while responding to wildfires. Delivery and management of the items is always complex, but even more so with COVID precautions and the risks associated with a wildfire response. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the many agencies involved and the Incident Management Team, the responders on scene have the specialized food and equipment they need. Physical donations including food, are not being accepted at this time. The best way you can make a difference and help is by donating to the volunteer fire departments involved and the many agencies supporting the relief efforts. These agencies play an indispensable role in disaster response and recovery, and they would love any help you can offer.

Donate to the Larimer County Fire Recovery Fund

The United Way of Larimer County was asked by County officials, Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD), and other partners, to launch and manage a recovery fund for private donations. The funds will be used locally and distributed by the Larimer County Fire Long Term Recovery Group.

Donate to the American Red Cross of Northern Colorado

The Red Cross is spending thousand of dollars a day sheltering families who been evacuated or lost their home. They help find shelter for animals and meals.

Apply to offer temporary housing for animals through the Larimer County Humane Society

The Larimer County Humane Society has provided care and shelter for many animals throughout this emergency. Offer your support to them or to the animals directly through temporary shelter.

The Larimer County resource page includes a tab for donations and volunteering. Look at the Donations and Volunteers tab for more ways to get involved. The United Way is also managing volunteer opportunities as they become available.

Volunteers are a vital resource in a wildfire response. Many volunteers and volunteer fire departments have been involved in the Cameron Peak Fire response since the beginning. Wildland volunteer firefighters have special training and certifications which prepare them to safely assist at the scene of a fire. Fires, especially wildland fires, are incredibly complex and can be dangerous. Volunteers are provided resources including tools and food and supported like any other responder. Because of these reasons, volunteers must be affiliated with a fire department. Each department maintains its own list of volunteers so they can ensure they are ready and able to respond when they are needed. The Incident Management Team, which commands/manages large fires, can then turn to these departments to find the right amount of properly trained volunteers - too many or people without the needed skills would be logistically challenging and unsafe.

If you are interested in volunteering in the response to the wildfires, please work to become affiliated with your local fire department. After a selection process and completing the necessary training, you may be added to the department’s volunteer list. You will then be one of the people ready and prepared to help next time.

Poudre Fire Authority is not currently accepting volunteer firefighter applications. We open the application process on an as needed basis which is typically about once a year but may vary. We will communicate when the application process is open through a variety of channels including social media and community partners.

As we have seen firsthand this fire season, wildfires can produce heavy smoke clouds and particulates in the air. The smoke can cover the sky or rise in a striking column. This smoke can affect our air quality on the Front Range. While air quality is important to us all, it is especially important to people with compromised respiratory systems or other sensitivities. Our partner, the City of Fort Collins provides the air quality index, links to current smoke maps, and an option to sign up for air quality alerts. 

Air Quality Data and Alerts