In late June, sixteen LCSO crew members left Larimer County to serve the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in Ignacio, CO. In light of record-low fuel moistures, forecasted high temperatures & low humidity, the crew was ordered in anticipation of new fire starts.
Line of wildland firefighters wearing yellow shirts, backpacks, and helmets walk down a dirt trail toward a valley and mountains under a blue sky.

ALT Line of wildland firefighters wearing yellow shirts, backpacks, and helmets walk down a dirt trail toward a valley and mountains under a blue sky.

Jul 9, 2026 · 3:58 PM UTC

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While nothing sparked during their time on the reservation, they stayed prepared for any initial attack needs, toured the Durango Helitack base, and assisted with fuel mitigation cutting projects during their time on the ground.
A group of wildland firefighters wearing blue shirts and green pants stand outside of a helicopter on a paved landing pad. The sky is blue and vehicles are parked in the background.

ALT A group of wildland firefighters wearing blue shirts and green pants stand outside of a helicopter on a paved landing pad. The sky is blue and vehicles are parked in the background.

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Assignments like this serve a number of purposes. Catching a fire fast can mean the difference between quick containment or a massive disaster, so having pre-positioned teams can be critical when conditions are extreme.
A wildland firefighter with a yellow shirt, backpack, protective chaps, and a helmet uses a chainsaw to cut branches. She is surrounded by bushes and tall trees.

ALT A wildland firefighter with a yellow shirt, backpack, protective chaps, and a helmet uses a chainsaw to cut branches. She is surrounded by bushes and tall trees.

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In return, our crew gains valuable experience in a variety of environments, gets a chance to work on professional qualifications, and their time away is funded by the agency/incident team that orders them.
Two wildland firefighters wearing yellow shirts, backpacks, helmets, and protective chaps use chainsaws to cut brush during a fuels mitigation project.

ALT Two wildland firefighters wearing yellow shirts, backpacks, helmets, and protective chaps use chainsaws to cut brush during a fuels mitigation project.

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We always have full-time crew members & a large group of on-call firefighters here at home to manage local incidents, too. They rotate through out-of-county assignments, which strengthens the team while serving our community & neighbors in need. Welcome home, Phantom Canyon!
Group of wildland firefighters in yellow shirts and protective helmets post for a photo outside with blue sky behind them.

ALT Group of wildland firefighters in yellow shirts and protective helmets post for a photo outside with blue sky behind them.

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