The Upper Pine Fire Protection District, a 265-square-mile district in La Plata and Archuleta counties, reported its first two COVID-19 cases this week.
One crew member tested positive in Pagosa Springs, the other in Bayfield. The district responded by testing its entire staff Tuesday and quarantining four other crew members who might have been exposed to the virus. The district did not expect impacts to its response as of Tuesday.
“If we have to isolate some more people, we’re probably going to shut down the station up at Vallecito,” said Bruce Evans, Upper Pine Fire chief.
The Bayfield-area crew member, whose identity was not released, began to have symptoms around Nov. 3 or Nov. 4 and was being treated at Mercy Regional Medical Center.
“He’s been sick for a week. It sounds like at least he’s stabilized. He hasn’t deteriorated any further,” Evans said.
The contact tracers haven’t completed their investigation yet, but Evans said the crew member was likely exposed during Halloween weekend.
La Plata County as a whole saw a spike in cases a few days after the holiday, which corresponds with the 72-hour delay in symptom onset, Evans said.
The district is returning to some of its precautionary protocols from March and April, when coronavirus case numbers were peaking in the United States.
The crews can’t commingle, must wear face coverings inside the stations and are encouraged to keep their distance as much as possible. There is mandatory disinfection between shifts.
Once the district manages its COVID-19 cases, it will begin helping the health department with its public testing opportunities. It has already done two testing days in Bayfield and plans to do more. Upper Pine will also help with flu clinics.
“We’ve been extremely vigilant on this stuff. It’s just the law of averages as this thing starts to become more significant,” Evans said. “I think everyone is suffering from COVID-19 fatigue and they’re letting their guards down. ... People are social animals and their families and peer groups are important, but you’re playing Russian roulette with this.”
smullane@durangoherald.com
