Wildfire – The Durango Herald

Prescribed burn blamed for hazy skies across parts of Southwest Colorado

Firefighters burned about 1,130 acres Thursday in Boggy Draw area

DATE: May 9, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

4-acre fire contained near mobile home park west of Durango

About 40 mobile homes were placed on pre-evacuation notice in Lightner Creek area

DATE: May 7, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

Building wildfire resiliency at Forest Lakes subdivision

More than 100 attendees receive crash course on how to protect their homes

DATE: May 6, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

What should Durango businesses do if there’s a wildfire?

La Plata County Office of Emergency Management encourages employers to sign up for CodeRED alerts

DATE: May 2, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

Free workshops to review wildfire mitigation, defensible space and home hardening techniques

Events on community preparedness to provide resources, training

DATE: Apr 12, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

New law means HOAs can’t stop you from hardening your home against wildfires

Gov. Polis says legislation should help residents safeguard their homes and save money on insurance

DATE: Mar 18, 2024 | CATEGORY: Regional News

La Plata County launches Wildfire Resource Center

New map shows risks and resources of individual properties

DATE: Mar 11, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

PCC to offer free certificate programs in wildfire mitigation and forestry

These programs will accept 20 students, with enrollment opening on March 11

DATE: Mar 7, 2024 | CATEGORY: Education

La Plata County commissioners return from D.C. advocacy trip

Broadband access, fire mitigation hurdles on agenda at annual conference

DATE: Feb 20, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

Many Colorado HOAs have rules that make homes more vulnerable to wildfires. New legislation could block those

Colorado lawmakers on Friday advanced new legislation that would make it easier to build or upgrade homes to harden them against wildfires. The legislation would void language in existing ho...

DATE: Feb 5, 2024 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Logging by train

State forest service partners with railroad for fuel thinning project near Rockwood

DATE: Jan 17, 2024 | CATEGORY: Local News

Durango residents at a loss as homeowners insurance becomes harder to find

Insurers are shrinking coverage because of wildfire risks, leaving buyers hung out to dry

DATE: Jan 15, 2024 | 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

Prescribed burn blamed for hazy skies across parts of Southwest Colorado

4-acre fire contained near mobile home park west of Durango

Building wildfire resiliency at Forest Lakes subdivision

What should Durango businesses do if there’s a wildfire?

Free workshops to review wildfire mitigation, defensible space and home hardening techniques

New law means HOAs can’t stop you from hardening your home against wildfires

La Plata County launches Wildfire Resource Center

PCC to offer free certificate programs in wildfire mitigation and forestry

La Plata County commissioners return from D.C. advocacy trip

Many Colorado HOAs have rules that make homes more vulnerable to wildfires. New legislation could block those

Logging by train

Durango residents at a loss as homeowners insurance becomes harder to find

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