Southern Colorado firefighters return home after battling wildfires across the Midwest

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)-- Firefighters from southern Colorado are back home after spending five days on the front lines of a massive wildfire burning in Nebraska.

A crew from the Cimarron Hills Fire Department recently returned after volunteering to help fight the Road 203 Fire, which has burned more than 35,000 acres and is currently 36% contained.

Their return was quiet—but meaningful.

After days of battling flames, long hours and unpredictable conditions, the team pulled back into their station without fanfare. Just the simple act of coming home.

Bobby Watson, Josh Edgar, Katie, and Eric were part of the crew that answered the call, traveling hundreds of miles, not because they had to, but because they chose to.

“It’s pride,” said Chief Andrew York. “I’m proud of them and the work that they do when they go out and help these other communities. Obviously, that’s a big deal for us—just to make sure everybody gets home. Our job is inherently dangerous in everything we do.”

Wildland deployments like this one come with significant sacrifices. Firefighters leave behind their families and daily routines, stepping into physically demanding and often dangerous environments far from home.

And when they return, there’s little time to slow down.

Gear is unpacked. Equipment is reset. And crews prepare for the possibility of the next call.

“These packs right here are what we wear when we’re on the fire line,” one firefighter explained. “We keep PPE in it—gloves, gear—and we’ve got our fire shelter at the bottom just in case something happens and we need to deploy it.”

For the firefighters on the ground, the mission is simple.

“It’s all about trying to save properties, save lives, save livestock out there,” said firefighter Josh Edgar.

Recognition isn’t what drives them.

“We’re just excited—we love to help,” said Bobby Watson. “We love to be all action, all moving, all tasks. The more they have us do, the better.”

Now back in Colorado Springs, the focus shifts to recovery and reconnecting with loved ones.

“Be home with the family, just relax for a minute… breathe,” Watson said.

Chief York says this deployment is just one example of how departments across southern Colorado support wildfire efforts nationwide. Every firefighter on this mission volunteered, stepping up when communities needed them most.

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.