Wildfire – The Durango Herald

Colorado Senators push for permanent pay increase for federal firefighters

Michael Bennet, John Hickenlooper joined 11 other senators in urging action on pay increases for wildland federal firefighters as temporary increases face a rapidly approaching expiration date

DATE: Sep 28, 2023 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Prescribed burns on 27,600 acres of San Juan National Forest scheduled for this fall

Conditions appear to be ‘really promising’

DATE: Sep 5, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Fire restrictions lifted across Southwest Colorado

Montezuma County restrictions remain in place

DATE: Aug 31, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Where there’s ‘smoke,’ there’s not always fire

Durango firefighters say ‘smoke scares’ not uncommon this time of year

DATE: Aug 21, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Tropical storm pushes wildfire smoke into Southwest Colorado

Monsoonal moisture expected to return midweek

DATE: Aug 21, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Playing with fire (mitigation)

Rising wildfire risk, impending state codes have HOAs and homeowners leaning into mitigation

DATE: Aug 21, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Dry Lake fire 47% contained after fuel reduction

What started as a quarter-acre fire grew to 1,400 acres within fire lines

DATE: Aug 7, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Firefighters seek to use Dry Lake fire for fuels reduction

Lightning started fire Sunday east of Bayfield; smoke was visible from U.S. Highway 160

DATE: Aug 3, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Small wildfire breaks out east of Bayfield

Dry Lake fire is burning a 2019 prescribed burn zone, facilitating containment

DATE: Aug 2, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

Wildfire north of Gunnison grows to 1,427 acres

Blaze ignited last week from lightning bolt in a remote area

DATE: Aug 1, 2023 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Record heat after wet spring elevates Colorado wildfire risk

National organization predicts fire danger will be ‘above normal’ for Southwest Colorado in August

DATE: Jul 20, 2023 | CATEGORY: Regional News

La Plata County implements fire restrictions

Stage 1 rules take effect Monday morning

DATE: Jul 7, 2023 | CATEGORY: Local News

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Photos: Parade launches 2024 Connie Mack World Series in FarmingtonFans line street as players march on Main Damp, overcast weather cooled off the crowd lining Main Street on Friday morning for the 2024 Connie Mack World Series Parade. The hourlong parade began shortly after 10 a.m. in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Fans line street as players march on Main

Photos: ‘Mini Takes the States’ tour stops in DurangoHundreds of Mini Cooper vehicles occupy Fort Lewis College on Sunday; Participants began the journey in Albuquerque and will finish in Seattle

Hundreds of Mini Cooper vehicles occupy Fort Lewis College on Sunday; Participants began the journey in Albuquerque and will finish in Seattle

Photos: Boxing returns to DurangoAnimus on the Animas: 1st Annual Durango Boxing Classic at the Durango Main Mall on Saturday

Animus on the Animas: 1st Annual Durango Boxing Classic at the Durango Main Mall on Saturday

Photos and video: Going for the gold by devouring piesContestants try their best to win the Oscar’s Pie Eating Contest on Friday in Durango

Contestants try their best to win the Oscar’s Pie Eating Contest on Friday in Durango

Photo: Fireworks light the sky in DurangoDurango celebrates Independence Day on Thursday night

Durango celebrates Independence Day on Thursday night

Photos: Working with woodLocal craftsman uses wood joinery, rather than nails or screws to construct homes and other structures

Local craftsman uses wood joinery, rather than nails or screws to construct homes and other structures

2024 Fourth of July Parade draws crowd Thursday in downtown Durango

Photos: Downtown Durango hosts Fourth of July ParadeDowntown sidewalks were full for Thursday’s celebration

Downtown sidewalks were full for Thursday’s celebration

Durango Rotary Club, Parks and Recreation department host Independence Day events

Law enforcement conducts active threat training at Park Elementary SchoolResidents may see and hear police activity Thursday and Friday

Law enforcement agencies across Southwest Colorado sent officers to participate in active threat training this week at Park Elementary School in Durango. Those in the neighborhood can expect police vehicles parked on the premises, officers in tactical gear conducting exercises inside and outside the school, and signs advising that training is in progress. The sounds of shouting, airsoft weapons and the popping of a starter pistol will also be audible near the school, said Karla Sluis, spokeswoman for Durango School District 9-R.Sluis said that members of the school district’s safety department have gone door-to-door with flyers notifying residents around Park Elementary School about the training.

Hosted by the Durango Police Department and the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office, this week’s voluntary training invited officers from law enforcement agencies across a five-county region of Southwest Colorado encompassing La Plata, Archuleta, San Juan, Montezuma and Dolores counties.

La Plata County Sheriff’s Office deputy Durango Police Department Deputy Mike Latham, lead instructor for this week's training, said Wednesday and the first half of Thursday were mostly preparatory, teaching officers the school’s layout and devising scenarios, whereas the latter half of Thursday and Friday residents should anticipate some noise as active threat scenarios play out.

Latham said active threat training teaches officers proper protocol during active threat scenarios, especially in densely populated areas where they have become increasingly common.Park Elementary School is not the only Durango School District facility law enforcement has conducted active threat training. Latham said schools lend themselves well to this sort of training because, “It gives us all kinds of doors to work on, different rooms, different scenarios we can run. We can pretend it’s a mall with nice big corridors, we can even pretend it’s an outdoor area in the gymnasium.”Latham has participated in active threat training multiple times in the past and described the drills as exhilarating and nerve-wracking. He said one of the training’s main goals is teaching officers how to manage stress and remain calm with lives on the line.

“I take a pulse oximeter in the morning and get a baseline on their heart rates,” Latham said. “And sometimes, just before they’re about to engage a threat, I say ‘Timeout.’ Put it (the oximeter) on there, and their heart rate’s skyrocketed to 140, 150, 160 just in training.”

Latham said throughout his career active threat training has evolved to become safer for officers and fall in line with increasingly professional police standards.“When I first started we were just running into halls and rooms hoping for the best,” Latham said. “Now the tactic is still to get there, still stop the taking of lives, but tactics are much better than they were 20 years ago.”

Residents may see and hear police activity Thursday and Friday

Colorado Senators push for permanent pay increase for federal firefighters

Prescribed burns on 27,600 acres of San Juan National Forest scheduled for this fall

Fire restrictions lifted across Southwest Colorado

Where there’s ‘smoke,’ there’s not always fire

Tropical storm pushes wildfire smoke into Southwest Colorado

Playing with fire (mitigation)

Dry Lake fire 47% contained after fuel reduction

Firefighters seek to use Dry Lake fire for fuels reduction

Small wildfire breaks out east of Bayfield

Wildfire north of Gunnison grows to 1,427 acres

Record heat after wet spring elevates Colorado wildfire risk

La Plata County implements fire restrictions

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