This Sunday, head to the Heritage Plaza in Mountain Village for the Fire and Ice: Community Wildfire Education Ice Cream Social from 4-7 p.m. The afternoon offers a chance for individuals of all ages to study wildfire mitigation and prevention, which is a real concern within the area. The occasion is free and open to the general public. Residents of the encircling space, second householders and guests are welcome.
“I need to get this data to as many individuals as doable. … Wildfire danger is actual and current for anyone who lives or owns property within the Village,” stated Kathrine Warren, Mountain Village public data officer and organizer of the occasion.
Mountain Village collaborated with a number of organizations for the occasion, together with the Telluride Fire Protection District, San Miguel Sheriff’s Office and Office of Emergency Management, and the Norwood Ranger District of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forest.
Stations can be arrange across the plaza protecting varied matters concerning wildfires. Topics vary from hearth mitigation, which incorporates steps you possibly can assist to cut back the danger of a wildfire consuming and decimating one’s property, to prevention.
According to the National Parks Service, practically 85 p.c of wildfires are attributable to people.
John Bennett — chief of the Telluride Fire Protection District that encompasses, which Mountain Village, Telluride and the east finish of the county — defined the potential for a wildfire within the space will not be a far cry from actuality.
“As we proceed to construct within the wildland-urban interface, we proceed to extend that danger profile,” Bennett stated.
For every resient, it’s their private duty to take mitigation motion to guard their property. Bennett defined this fashion firefighters can deal with security and entry.
Warren defined what prompted the organized occasion was the Marshal Wildfire in December 2021. The hearth burned greater than 6,000 acres and destroyed 1000’s of properties in Boulder County.
In March, Bennett and Mountain Village Police Chief Chris Broady lined wildfire preparation and danger within the space throughout an everyday Mountain Village Town Council assembly.
Education is essential, and wildfire education and preparation have many various features, which can all be introduced and taught Sunday afternoon, Bennett stated.
“The objective of public education is to place us in a great or a extra strong place to not solely mitigate the problem previous to a hearth, however when a hearth occurs to have a great path for folk to evacuate and be notified,” he added.
CodeRED is the notification system broadly used all through the area, and anyone can enroll by the San Miguel County web site (sanmiguelcountyco.gov) and obtain the app. The system sends out real-time SMS, voice and app notifications within the case of an emergency, like a wildfire.
The Sunday occasion will cowl the significance of households creating an evacuation plan and what to do in the event that they solely have 5 minutes to go away their home.
“We proceed to plan for the worst and hope for one of the best,” Bennett stated.
Smokey Bear would possibly make an look Sunday to assist educate the youngsters in attendance. Growing up in a mountain city herself, Warren remembers assembly Smokey Bear as a toddler and gaining an understanding of wildfire prevention.
“I discovered from a really early age as a child, in the event you see a cigarette that another person has tossed and it is nonetheless burning, step on it. Starting with youngsters, it will get these protected habits instilled in them earlier,” she stated.
Strategically scheduled the Sunday earlier than the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Warren hopes to achieve and join with as many individuals as doable. Attendees who go to all of the stations can be eligible to enter a raffle with prizes from native companies. For the youngsters, along with Smokey Bear, there can be a firetruck and police automotive for them to discover. Musician Andy Jones will present leisure, and there can be free ice cream for everyone.
“It’s the mother and father who can be going from sales space to sales space,” Warren stated, “however we wished to make it a bit extra partaking for our households.”