Three Highway 285 mountain communities may have new fire department soon

Greg Pixley knows firefighting. He had a long career with Denver Fire and now he's the president of the Elk Creek Fire Protection District board of directors. 

He says three Colorado communities on the Highway 285 corridor are most at risk for a catastrophic fire.

"It's incredibly dangerous up here," he said. "This Conifer, North Fork and Inter-Canyon area is at the 99 percentile of fire risk." 

Despite this, the more than 400 square acres don't have a dedicated fire department staffed at all times. Instead, the communities rely largely on volunteer firefighters.

"But as of late in the last decade or so there has been a diminished number of people that can volunteer time," Pixley said.

This is horrible timing because in those last 10 years, the area has seen tremendous growth. 

"When you increase the number of people and the homes and the cars that make their way up and down to 285 every day, you increase fire risks," Pixley said.

That's why the North Fork Volunteer Fire Department, Inter-Canyon Rescue and Fire, and Elk Creek Fire and Rescue are proposing a consolidation. 

Instead of three volunteer departments, one professional department would be formed to protect the community any time they need it.

"Our goal is to have more 24/7 paid firefighters," Pixley said.

Of course, that comes with a cost. Consolidation would raise the mil levy to pay for the new department.  

While some may balk at higher taxes, Pixley who is a resident of the community, says the cost will be pennies a day for most property owners.

"For me, if you were to live in a million-and-a-half-dollar home and to pay an extra dollar a day for added Fire Protection District, it would be worth it," Pixley said.

The chiefs of the three departments say, this is their duty.

"We can't sit and rest on our laurels," Pixley said.

The consolidation plan has been in the works for a year now and the chiefs of the three departments are hoping to bring it to the community for a vote in November. 

To learn more you can visit the proposal's website.