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Summit County fire chiefs raise concern that federal staffing cuts could ‘directly impact wildfire management efforts’ (Summit Daily News)

Firefighters in a forest, controlling a ground fire with tools. Smoke and small flames are visible.
Firefighting crews established a handline to contain a small wildfire Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. The wildfire occurred west of the Gold Hill trailhead between Frisco and Breckenridge. Summit County fire chiefs penned a letter to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture raising concern that the firing of federal employees could negatively impact local responses to wildfires.
U.S. Forest Service/Courtesy photo

Summit County’s two fire protection districts are raising concern that federal staffing cuts will reduce local officials’ ability to respond to the threat of wildfires. The Summit Fire & EMS and Red, White & Blue Fire protection districts penned a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Feb. 26 expressing “deep concern” over recent federal staffing cuts that “directly impact wildfire management efforts.”  “As frontline responders in the central mountains of Colorado, we have witnessed firsthand the invaluable collaboration between our local fire departments and federal agencies in tackling wildfires that threaten our communities and natural landscapes,” Summit Fire & EMS Chief Travis Davis and Red, White & Blue Fire Chief Jay Nelson wrote in the letter. Read more ...