Ask the Fire Chief

Have a question you’re burning to know the answer to? Ask the Fire Chief. All questions will be answered as quickly as possible, and the answers to any of general interest posted on this page.[Form id=”13″]

Quick links to previously asked questions:

How do you find my house?
What is the North-West Fire insurance rating?
How do I know if there is a fire ban on?
What kinds of fire bans are there? and, What are Red Flag Warnings & Fire Weather Watches?  

How can I find out what fires are burning in the area?
How can I get rid of branches and other organic debris resulting from fire mitigation on my property?


PREVIOUSLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do you find my house?
We can’t help you if we can’t find you.

Finding an unfamiliar lot can be difficult up here. It becomes even harder in the dark. Clear and visible signs can make all the difference to our ability to find you.  To that end, North-West Fire Protection District asks that every property owner get an address sign. These are instrumental in helping the department locate your property in the event of an emergency.  Signs should be posted at the end of the driveway and be easily visible from the road.  Signs should be posted between three and four feet off the ground.  Signs should not be obscured by trees or brush.  Signs should not be so low or so close to the road that they may be obscured by snow or damaged by snow plows.  Signs should face the most direct route to your property (the direction emergency vehicles are most likely to be coming from).

Minutes can make the difference in an emergency.

Numeric signs are available for a $20.00 fee from North-West Fire Protection District.

What is the Northwest Fire insurance rating?
The North-West Fire Protection District insurance (ISO) rating is 10 except the towns of Fairplay and Alma are rated a 3.

Classification Details

Public Protection Classification
On Apr 19, 2015 ISO concluded its review of the fire suppression features being provided for/by Northwest FD. The resulting classification is a Class 3/10.

If the classification is a single class, the classification applies to all properties in the community. If the classification is a “split’ class (e.g., 3/10), the following applies:

> The first class (e.g., “3” in a 3/10) applies to properties within 5-road miles of a recognized fire station and within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant or alternate water supply.
> Alternative Water Supply: The first class (e.g., “3” in a 2/10) applies to all properties within 5-road miles of a recognized fire station with no hydrant distance requirement.

How do I know if there is a fire ban on?

Fire Ban notices will be posted in several places throughout the district. A fire ban will be posted on our burn permit website.  If there is a fire ban, information on the ban will also be posted on this website on the News page.

What kinds of fire bans are there? and, What are Red Flag Warnings & Fire Weather Watches?

Currently, there are not “stages” to the fire bans in Park County.  The Forest Service operates under Stage I & Stage II bans.  Local fire districts and forest lands may have different restrictions at any time.
Red Flag Warning – The National Weather Service (NWS) issues Red Flag Warnings & Fire Weather Watches to alert land management agencies about the onset, or possible onset, of critical weather and fuel moisture conditions that could lead to rapid or dramatic increases in wildfire activity. This could be due to low relative humidity, strong winds, dry fuels, or any combination thereof.

Public information for fire conditions/restrictions on Colorado State Forest Service land csfs.colostate.edu

Public Information for fire conditions/restrictions on National Forest Service land http://inciweb.nwcg.gov

When there is a Red Flag Warning posted in the District, there will be no open burning allowed for the duration of that warning.

How can I find out what fires are burning in the area?
Call the Fire District at 719-836-3150.  Also, you may check https://fire.airnow.gov for fire and smoke information.

How can I get rid of branches and other organic debris resulting from fire mitigation on my property?
The Burn Pit is permanently closed. But, the Fairplay Slash Site is open.  The North-West Fire Protection District may also be able to assist with chipping debris on your property.  Please refer to the section about Chipping on this website for more information.