Introduction |
Fuels Management |
Burn Permits |
Mitigation |
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Introduction |
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The Platte Canyon Fire Protection District has a volunteer fire department with approximately 65 volunteer members.
We have four fire stations in our District and they are Station 1-in Bailey on Highway 285, Station 2 (District Office)-on top of Crow Hill, Station 3-in Grant, and Station 4 in Harris Park.
Our Fire District covers an area of 271 square miles from the top of Kenosha Pass to part of the Will-o-Wisp subdivision. We respond to over 600 calls per year consisting of structural fires, vehicle fires, wildland fires, medical responses, swift water and ice rescues, HazMat, vehicle accidents, and many other responses when called upon.
The Platte Canyon Fire Protection District has an ISO of 6 for those property owners within our fire district. This is an excellent rating for our mountain community. We recommend that you contact your homeowner insurance company to make sure that they have you listed with this ISO rating. The ISO rating affects your annual homeowner's insurance premium.
Our district office is located at:
Platte Canyon Fire Protection District
153 Dellwood Drive
Bailey, CO 80421
at Station #2
Our office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Phone: 303-838-5853
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Bailey Fuels Management Initiative |
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In early 2004, nine federal, state, county, local, and private agencies entered in the 285 Conifer-Bailey Fuels Management Initiative, a collaborative hazardous fuels management initiative. This initiative is to address wildland fire hazards and treatment priorities across jurisdictional boundaries. Most of these communities have either been impacted or immediately threatened by numerous major wild-fires, which include Buffalo Creek-1996, High Meadow- 2000, Snaking-2002, Black Mountain-2002, Schoonover-2002, and Hayman-2002.
Six distinct treatment planning areas encompassing 38,975 acres of federal, state and private lands within an overall 60,420 acre general assessment area have been identified. Public input will be used to help identify the specific acreages to be treated, with an estimated seven to ten thousand acres expected to receive treatment. The Environmental Assessment is slated to be completed in Spring 2005, at which point the initiative's partners will take important next steps in planning and implementing their multilateral fuels treatment activities, working closely with impacted citizens and communities.
The Platte Canyon Fire Protection District, an Initiative partner, developed a district-wide hazard assessment in 2002 via the State Fire Assistance grant program. Information collected includes fuels mapping, fire behavior predictions, community hazard ratings and mitigation recommendations.
Through the 285 Fuels Initiative, all of the assessment's data will be shared with the partners and be incorporated directly into the Harris Park Community Wildfire Protection Plan (HPCWPP).
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Complying with Your Burn Permit |
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The Platte Canyon Fire Protection District implemented a new burn permit policy in June, 2005.
All outside burning requires a Burn Permit that can be obtained from the Platte Canyon Fire Protection District office. Outside burning includes recreational campfires and controlled burning of slash.
Recreational Campfires
Recreational campfires are restricted to a 2 x 2 x 2 foot space,
and can be used at anytime of the year unless there is a burn ban.
These must be on cleared ground and enclosed with rocks or a metal ring. Metal barbeques, either gas or charcoal, chimineas, and smokers are exempt from requiring a burn permit.
Controlled Open Burning
Controlled burning of slash, vegetation, pine needles and clean lumber can take place only
when there is a minimum of 2" (two inches) of snow on the ground.
These controlled burns are restricted to a 3 x 3 x 3 foot space. The burning of trash is never allowed.
Current burn permits issued prior to June 2005 do not have to be renewed.
However, you will need to be aware and follow the above changes.
If you see smoke, help us by being a good neighbor and investigate where the smoke is coming from prior to calling 911.
It could be a controlled burn or smoke from a chimney.
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Mitigation and Defensible Space |
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Think about property mitigation and the creation and improvement of defensible space around your house.
The recommended guidelines are:
- There should be about 15-feet around the structure where there are no trees.
- Beyond this, and extending out to approximately 75-feet, the trees should be thinned.The lower branches should be trimmed up to about 8-feet. These lower branches are "ladder fuels" that could carry a surface fire up into the trees. Any small trees or bushes under the trees will also act as "ladder fuels" and should be removed. The large trees should be thinned to about 8-feet apart. This is a measured branch-to-branch -- not from the trunks.
- Grass, weeds, or other vegetation should be removed from near the structure. There should be about 18-24 inches from vegetation to the structure. This will break the "continuity" of fuels to the structure.
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