Colorado Springs fire crews increasing response to smaller fires

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Colorado Springs firefighters responded to a small grass fire near Old Colorado City on Tuesday afternoon.

The fire was quickly contained at half an acre. However, while the fire itself was small, the response to it was not.

Colorado Springs Fire Department sent 35 firefighters to the scene with several police officers, ready to evacuate should things get out of hand. This was far from the first small fire to get this treatment.

Our 11 Breaking Weather team has reported that Colorado will be seeing more red flag days in the future. Because of this, Smaldino said an increased response to smaller fires is becoming commonplace.

“It’s going to be a busy summer month coming ahead of us with wildland fires, with grass fires,” he said. “Today, a red flag day, for us very high fire danger, which means we get a lot of resources quickly.”

He said the department is fully taking advantage to these resources. The city can expect to see more trucks with sirens, but Smaldino said he believes this will keep everyone safe in the long run.

Nonetheless, CSFD relies heavily on people who report fires, and Smaldino said the best thing people can do to help get these fires out as soon as possible is to call 911 as soon as you see something. He added not to assume that someone else has already done it.

With the increasingly dry conditions across the state, Smaldino said Colorado Springs Fire Marshall is considering a complete burn ban in the city. Nothing is certain yet, but Smaldino said it looks like we’re heading in that direction.

Click here for more information from the state of Colorado when it comes to preparing yourself and defending your home from a wildfire.

When it comes to mitigation, the Colorado State Forest Service has some great information to prepare your home and property for a wildfire. Click here for more.

Cal Fire recommends remembering the “SIX Ps:”

Keep These Six “Ps” Ready In Case Immediate Evacuation Is Required:

• People and pets
• Papers, phone numbers, and important documents
• Prescriptions, vitamins, and eyeglasses
• Pictures and irreplaceable memorabilia
• Personal computer hard drive and disks
• “Plastic” (credit cards, ATM cards) and cash

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