Community members join Pikes Peak clean up crew to prevent future wildfires

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - People in Manitou Springs are working together to clean up the forest and prevent wildfires.

Manitou resident Trevor Becker, who spearheaded the Pikes Peak Clean Up Crew, says he was inspired by the destruction the Barr Trail fire caused back in October.

"It was really an alarming wake up call to see the big plume of smoke coming up and just to see the fire so close," he told us. "My biggest motivation is to protect our community since we all love the mountains that we live next to and in."

Trevor and his family helped clean up Barr Trail after the fire, then kept cleaning up homeless camps and trash as it popped up over the last few months.

Becker invited other community members, and even city leaders, to join in through a Facebook group that now has more than 300 members.

"We come across a lot of things like gas cans, propane tanks, kerosine containers, grills, car batteries, lighter fluid," Becker told KRDO. "You'd be surprised at the type of fire hazards you find out there."

Trevor and his crew lugged 40 industrial sized bags of trash down the Barr Trail during Sunday's group clean up.

"With the three largest Colorado wildfires happening just in the last year, we really want to avoid being the next large wildfire," Becker said.