CSFD sends crew to help with Grizzly Creek Fire

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo (KRDO) -- Fire crews are continuing to battle the Grizzly Creek Fire as they try to get control of the now 25,000-acre blaze. In total, nearly 650 fire personnel are working on this fire, including some firefighters from right here in Colorado Springs.

On Wednesday, the Colorado Springs Fire Department deployed a type 6 engine company with three people. Upon arriving, the CSFD crew spent the first couple of days on dayshift. They then switched to the night shift and have been working 14-hour days for the past four nights.

Capt. Steve Oswald with CSFD said, “At night, our primary responsibility has been to watch that fire progression, make sure it's not backing down into any structures.”

Deployment can be up to 14 days with two days of travel time on either side. CSFD anticipates being out there for the full 14 days. Oswald says the coordination between different agencies coming together to help those in need has been great to see.

“I think that's one of the biggest successes about an incident like this is the amount of inter-agency coordination. The number of resources from all over our country that's here helping this community out, both in protecting their homes, their economy, their infrastructure."

Not only are crews trying to protect homes and property, they are also trying to get enough control of the fire so they can reopen Interstate 70, which is a major corridor.

Oswald said, “Having I-70 closed for this long has a very very big impact on the economics of the state and nationally, you know, with truck and commerce, but also with the fact that we're into this canyon where it's very very steep rocky terrain.”

And along with the difficulties of I-70 being closed, Covid-19 has brought along its own challenges. Oswald says it’s been tough trying to figure out how to communicate with the command team because of restrictions in place due to the coronavirus.

“We have to do virtual check-ins. Everything is done - like turning in time cards, all that kind of thing - is done via virtual, either through email or taking photos. And then during briefings, that kind of thing, yeah we try to reduce the amount of people [present]," Oswald said.

The weather is a concern moving forward, but firefighters will bolster their efforts using heavy equipment in every division to construct a fire line. Structure protection in No Name and Bair Ranch will continue as well.