Join Chief Elsner, Assistant Chief Benstein, and PIO McCracken for a community meeting on the Cameron Peak Fire, Saturday August 15, 7:00 PM.

Because of the reality we live in this year, we will be doing this on Zoom to preserve social distancing and ensure everyone's health and safety. We will discuss the current status of the fire, good sources to find updates, community preparedness, and suggestions for ways to protect yourself, your family, and your property. We are not directly involved in the Cameron Peak Fire, so don't expect the "inside track," but we can offer our experiences and training to assist you. These topics can be helpful not only for the Cameron Peak Fire specifically, but can be applied to potential future fires as well.

We will be doing screen shares to supplement the discussions, so please join from your computer if you can. But if you can't join via the internet, we also have toll-free numbers to let you call in. All the information is below.

This direct link will get you to the meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84583823337?pwd=Z2J0YzZHKzhET3Vyb0xCZWN6MFB0Zz09

If that doesn't work, you can open Zoom and enter the Meeting ID and Passcode:

• Meeting ID: 845 8382 3337
• Passcode: 888970

If all else fails, use one of the following toll-free numbers to call in:

• 888-475-4499
• 877-853-5257

We're all in this together as a community, so let's get together and provide each other some support.

There is a fire burning at the north end of Chambers Lake near Cameron Pass. Current size estimate is about 1500 acres, but it started today and has grown rapidly, so expect that number to change. It looks to be on USFS land, and several VFDs in the area are assisting via mutual aid. RCVFD has not been deployed yet, but Chief Elsner is reaching out to offer further assistance.

It won't be hard to find updates on this fire, the news websites are all over it. In addition to the Grizzly Creek Fire in Glenwood Springs and the Pine Gulch Fire in Grand Junction, our area will be very smoky this weekend. Smoke plumes from Cameron will probably be visible over the next couple of days.

Our area is very dry, and we are currently under a Red Flag Warning until 20:00 tonight. Don't hesitate to call 911 if you see flames.

About 1:00 PM on 2 August, Rist Canyon firefighters and Larimer County Emergency Services responded to a 1/2-acre wildland fire burning adjacent to Stringtown Gulch Road. This is in our mutual aid area with Loveland Fire, and they responded as well, bringing a much-needed water tender and personnel to assist. The fire was burning on USFS land, and so Forest Service firefighters were also dispatched. With this much equipment and human response, the fire was under control in a few hours. All three agencies were actively involved in the fighting of this fire throughout initial attack right on through final mop-up.

RCVFD would like to thank its partners in this fire: USFS, Loveland FD, and Larimer County Emergency Services.

Yesterday late afternoon, RCVFD, Larimer County Emergency Services and US Forest Service responded to a smoke report in the Moody Hill area. Continuing the search this morning, the USFS aided by air resources were able to positively identify the source of the smoke as a bonfire on private land near Crystal Mountain. US Forest Service firefighters were able to make contact with the residents and instruct them to extinguish the bonfire in accordance with the Larimer County fire restrictions currently in effect.

Thank you to all the residents that participated in helping us locate this fire.

As a reminder, as of July 22, all open fires including camp fires are currently restricted in unincorporated portions Larimer County, and will remain so until August 31. Fireworks are always illegal in our area. Please note that the US Forest Service has also implemented fire restrictions on USFS land until further notice.

As always, if you see smoke or flames, call 911 immediately.

The Larimer County Sheriff is reporting that the Stratton Park Fire had no growth overnight and is 75% contained at approximately 3-4 acres as of about 13:00 today. No air resources in the area today, 23 firefighters on-scene, and no structures threatened or injuries reported.

There is also a 0.1-acre fire on US Forest Service land near Pennock Pass. The USFS is on-scene and has not requested assistance from any other resources in the area.

There is a wildland fire burning about 3 miles north of Stratton Park, approximately 3-4 acres in size, and caused by a lightning strike. Although this is called the Stratton Park Fire, it is closer to Poudre Canyon than Stratton Park, near Kings Canyon Road. Poudre Canyon Fire is leading the management of it along with Larimer County Emergency Services. Rist Canyon units did extensive scouting for access from our canyon in case it becomes necessary, and a Type 1 helicopter and MMA fixed-wing aircraft are involved. Smoke jumpers and Roosevelt Hotshots are on-scene and will be working through the night for containment. LCSO Emergency Services predicts 100% containment by morning. No structures are threatened at this time.

The best source of information we have found so far has been the Larimer Sheriff twitter feed.

Hot off the presses, the new Ristwatch is available on the RCVFD website!

The Mountain Festival is an important source of support for the RCVFD. Especially given the 2020 Festival has been cancelled, if you would like to provide support these are ways you can help.

• Take five minutes to select the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department as your designated charity associated with your King Soopers Rewards Card. Your fuel points and rewards are unaffected while the Department receives a generous 5 percent from all your purchases at King Soopers. If you don’t already have a free Rewards Card, request one from a cashier or at the service desk. Once that is done go to the King Soopers Community Awards website. Click on the link to enroll to set up an account or sign in if you already have one. Click “Community Rewards” from the list on the left, use the “Find an Organization” box, enter our NPO number YP687, and click search. It will verify you have selected the RCVFD, then click “Enroll.” Each time you shop at King Soopers with your Rewards Card, the Fire Department receives 5 percent of your total purchase while at the same time you receive Rewards Card savings on items including gasoline.
  
• Amazon Smile is the same Amazon you know with the added benefit of 5 percent of Amazon Smile purchases being donated to the charitable organization of your choice. Just go to smile.amazon.com or if you have an account sign in. Select Rist Canyon VFD as the charity you would like to give to, bookmark this website, and use it for all your Amazon purchases.
  
• The Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department also is registered with the Colorado Gives Program. Donating is easy through the Colorado Gives website.
  
• Lastly, donations may be sent directly to the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department via our website or through good old-fashioned mail at PO Box 2, Bellvue, CO 80512.

As we approach the 2020 fire season, we encourage everyone to be Fire Wise. Whether you live in the mountains or come to visit, awareness is the key factor. Be aware of the current fire conditions as last winter’s high moisture will result in more fast burning fuels. Know the rules of the high country, as making your time here safe and enjoyable is a paramount priority. Tips on how to be Fire Wise, and information about RCVFD are available at https://www.rcvfd.org.

In an abundance of caution, the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department (RCVFD) 2020 Mountain Festival, originally planned for Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, has been cancelled. “We would like to sincerely thank everyone for their support during previous years and look forward to our being together on September 11, 2021,” said RCVFD Chief Jeff Elsner. “We are proud to annually provide an event for the entire family, so we want to ensure we can do that without putting our guests or volunteers at risk.” The RCVFD Mountain Festival annually is planned for the first Saturday after Labor Day.

“We want to wish everyone good health and safety through this unprecedented crisis,” said Chief Elsner. “We look forward to seeing everyone at the 2021 RCVFD Mountain Festival on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021!”

For additional information please contact the Festival Coordinator, H.J. Siegel at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..