By Bob Cox, Mountain Valley News staff
Aaron Hudson spent a few hours last Thursday at the Hotchkiss Fire Station. In fact, he has spent many hours there since last August, although at 16, he has a very busy life and could be doing something else. Last Thursday he functioned in his capacity as a cadet firefighter.
Hudson, according to Chief Doug Fritz, exemplifies the proactive approach of the Hotchkiss Fire District. In fact, that is exactly why a small group of people gathered at the fire station to discuss the previous year and what was expected in the year to come.
Officially, the meeting was designed to review the Hotchkiss Community Wildfire Protection Plan; something the district has been doing since 2006. Fire officials and representatives from state, county and district levels gathered around the table in the firehouse to critically review the wildfire plan and add action items to the 2010 plan.
The 2009 plan was ambitious, maybe too much so, according to Fritz. “We didn’t accomplish some of the things in our 2009 plan, but we did a lot,” he said.
One of the most impressive accomplishments was the refurbishing of Engine 7 at the Colorado Forest Service Shop. Engine 7 is a rugged surplus fire truck that was transformed into a monster of a brush fire fighting unit. It was literally rebuilt from the chassis up, and gives the district one of the best firefighting tools available in the area.
Fritz pointed out that the review of wildfires for 2009 would be short. “We had the lightest season in the past 20-plus years. There were not even too many lightning strikes,” he said.
Rob Fiedler, who is the Delta County Emergency Management Coordinator, echoed Fritz’ comment, saying that the entire county enjoyed a low wildfire incident rate during the past year.
Ken Holsinger, a fuel specialist representing the BLM, described the federal plan to pursue some small controlled burns over the next several years. “Through the strategic placement of fires, we can break up the solid continuity of fuels,” he said, pointing out several areas on a map of the Hotchkiss Fire District.
Holsinger says one of the most critical concerns BLM has is that a fire in the piñon and juniper could open up the canopy, which could cause a significant increase in the amount of cheat grass, thereby giving a very fast burning fuel to any future fire. He also noted that the area in which the burns are proposed is very steep and rocky and is prone to erosion problems. “We have to move slowly on this plan,” he said. “Our burns will be small, from five to as much as 40 acres, but usually not nearly 40.” He said the agency might also consider using a chemical agent to subdue the cheat grass. In any case, re-seeding is part of the plan.
Chris Barth, who is new to his position with the Montrose Inter-agency Fire Office, also gave a short talk, and complimented Fritz and his department for their pro-active approach to preventing wildfires and protecting the people and property within the district. Barth pointed out that a new law requiring countywide protection plans would find the Hotchkiss district well ahead of the curve.
Meanwhile, the plan for 2010, while containing fewer items, is still very ambitious. The replacement of two trucks is on schedule, but will take a substantial part of the next year to complete. Trucks E2 and E4 are both in the process of being replaced. When the new trucks hit the line, they will represent the final two trucks to be equipped with the new 800Mhz radios, and will be welcomed additions to the fleet.
Also on the list is the plan to expand the community outreach, focusing on structure ignitability, agriculture related fire threats and wildfire concerns. Fritz also plans on visiting many of the residences in the area to discuss vulnerability and fire protection actions that can be accomplished by homeowners.
Training and preparation are always on top of the list. The next year is no exception. Plans are in progress to train at least one, and ideally two, engine bosses.
Who knows? Maybe some day Aaron Hudson’s name will be added to the engine boss list. Meanwhile, he had to get home to prepare to go to the stock show in Denver. The life of a 16-year-old is never simple.
