Coloradans in recent weeks have seen a barrage of evacuation notices and news updates about four major wildfires along the Front Range. Beyond the ever–changing tallies of acres burned or the latest containment numbers, we wanted to see a wildfire from a fire chief’s perspective – from the first visible plumes of smoke, to when evacuees return home.
Rob Stumpf leads the Lyons Fire Protection District. He and more than 200 firefighters spent days working to contain the Stone Canyon fire near Lyons. That blaze, which sparked on July 30, triggered evacuations, burned five structures and is linked to one death. The cause of the wildfire is under investigation. On Sunday, crews announced they had fully contained the blaze.
Stumpf has worked on many wildfires in his 27 years as a firefighter. And while the temperatures were brutal, he noted the unusual terrain was a large part of what made the Stone Canyon Fire so dangerous. He spoke with host Erin O’Toole by phone from the firehouse in Lyons.
