4th Alarm Wildland Fire

Photo courtesy of Colorado Springs Fire Department

At approximately 11:20 on November 19th, 2020 Colorado Springs Fire Department was dispatched to 405 Gold Camp Rd. at the Bear Creek Regional Park for a wildland fire. Colorado Springs Public Safety Communications Center advised that RP reported fire moving towards the south. Engine 3 arrived to a working wildland fire, and requested a second alarm wildland fire response for structure protection. Engine 3 established Gold Camp Command and asked dispatch to notify the U.S. Forest Service due to the fire burning on the border of the forest. Engine 3 gave units a size up of a southeast facing slope with fire lazily moving in grasses and light oak and confirmed there are structures threatened. Engine 13 was then appointed structure protection group supervisor. Command then requested to have forest service on standby. Dispatched advised structure protection, with a structure that was possibly on fire at 3095 Electra Dr. and the RP reported the home smoking. Fire Attack advised several acres burned with flame lengths of 2-3 feet and requested an additional crew with hand tools, due to inability to reach with hose lines. Command then requested a 3rd alarm wildland fire response. At 11:47 Command was transferred from Engine 3 to Battalion 1 and Engine 3 assumed operations. Throughout the duration of the incident, command requested a 4th Alarm with other smaller special requests. At 12:24, Command began to request aircraft support. The fire shortly started moving into the forest service land and crews were mobilized. Dispatch advised command that Fort Collins Interagency Dispatch only 1 had SEAT and that it was not available, and then command requested a Type 3 helicopter. Command 2500 was then assigned as Air Operations. Command then canceled the SEAT and requested a Type 1 chinook helicopter from the forest service out of Fremont County and the Type 3 helicopter from the Monument Fire Center. The fire was also known for a short time as the Electra Fire. The fire burned over 23 acres.

Initial Response: Battalion 1, Engine 5, Brush 5, Engine 3, Brush 3 & Wildland 9

Working Fire Response: Battalion 2, Engine 13, Brush 13, 52 (PIO), X-Ray 195 (Fire Investigator) & Marshal 1201

2nd Alarm: Engine 1, Engine 2, Engine 11, Brush 11, MCOM 1, Brush 22 & Wildland 4

3rd Alarm: Engine 6, Brush 6, Engine 7, Brush 7 & 73 (EMS Liaison/PIO)

Special Call: Engine 12, Brush 12, Engine 4, Engine 10, Brush 10 & 61 (PIO)

Fort Carson Fire & Emergency Services: Chief 1900, Engine 1911, Engine 1914 & Brush 1944

Colorado Springs Utilities – Catamount Wildland Fire Team: Command 2500 & Engine 2511

El Paso County Wildland Fire Management: Engine 3110 & Engine 3140

4th Alarm: Engine 20, Brush 20, Engine 21, Brush 21, Engine 15, Brush 15, Engine 16, Brush 16, Engine 18 & Brush 18

American Medical Response: AMR Supervisor 700 & Medic 18

Colorado Springs Police Department, El Paso County Sheriff, U.S. Forest Service, Monument Helitack, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, Wescott Fire Protection District, Tri-Lake Monument Fire Protection District, Black Forest Fire Protection District, Cimarron Hills Fire Department, Cheyenne Mountain Fire and Emergency Incident Services & Colorado Springs Utilities