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FireWise celebrates big honors

Winzell a pioneer in efforts to reduce wildfire danger

FireWise of Southwest Colorado had some big things to celebrate at its bimonthly meeting Tuesday, including three national awards.

Smokey Bear was on hand to present flowers and give hugs.

Judy Winzell got a standing ovation from her neighbors at Falls Creek as she accepted the Community Wildfire Preparedness Pioneer Award – one of only four in the nation – from Durango Fire Protection District Deputy Chief of Operations Hal Doughty. The DFPD nominated Winzell for the honor.

“She’s the epitome of what we’d like to see in a FireWise Ambassador,” Doughty said. “She’s incredibly persistent and incredibly organized.”

During her time as a FireWise Ambassador – she recently stepped down – Winzell brought in more than $250,000 in grants, created a committee to assess roads and construction that has created larger turnarounds and other safety and accessibility features for firefighters, and recruited chain-saw crews. She also played host to a party every year in the Falls Creek Fire Station so neighborhood residents could meet members of the DFPD.

“I didn’t do it by myself,” Winzell said. “As our slash pile grew exponentially year after year, as people got it, that was my report card.”

The award was jointly sponsored by the National Association of State Foresters, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Fire Protection Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

Another award for wildfire-mitigation innovation was given to FireWise of Southwest Colorado itself. Kent Grant, the Durango District forester for the Colorado Forest Service, presented the award to Executive Director Pam Wilson, who accepted it on behalf of the organization and her three coordinators, Melody Walters, Bill Trimarco and Rebecca Samulski.

“They created this award for folks who are focused on fire mitigation, who are being proactive,” said Chris Barth, the fire-mitigation specialist based at the Bureau of Land Management Office in Montrose, but whose responsibilities include Southwest Colorado. “I’m really tickled to see FireWise of Southwest Colorado honored with yet another national notch in its belt because they’re seen as leaders amongst their peers.”

FireWise of Southwest Colorado also has been named one of 17 Fire-adaptive Community Hubs in the nation.

Barth himself was given the Fire Adapted Communities Fire Service Leadership Award.

The Vallecito community, represented by its FireWise Ambassadors Marilyn McCord and Steve Walb, was recognized as a FireWise Communities/USA on Tuesday after almost three years of work and the creation of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

“The Vallecito Fire in late 2012 was a real eye-opener for us,” Walb said. “We realized how little mitigation work had taken place since the Missionary Ridge Fire in 2002, and decided it was time to get engaged.”

Five other communities in La Plata County also have received the national recognition – Deer Valley Estates, Falls Creek Ranch, Timberdale Ranch, Rancho Mira Sol and Vista de Oro.

abutler@durangoherald.com

On the net

Firewise: www.firewise.org



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