The Duckett Fire was burning hot on Tuesday, June 14th as it moved northwest towards the Eagle Peaks subdivision in Fremont County
The Fremont County Board of Commissioners met in emergency session Tuesday morning, June 21st, and approved a resolution declaring a local disaster and emergency situation in connection with the Duckett wildfire that ignited June 12th and was spreading from Custer County into Fremont County.
Fremont County Commission Chairman Ed Norden said he had spoken to Department of Local Affairs Regional Director Deb Downs on Friday, June 17th, regarding funding issues surrounding the fire. Norden said they discussed the fact that Colorado’s Emergency Fire Fund, which counties pay into every year to help pay the cost of fighting wildfires, has already been depleted due to the large wildfires earlier this spring in Boulder and Larimer Counties. Norden said when Custer and Fremont County officials signed documents turning over management of the Duckett Fire to the Colorado State Forest Service they were told that a $500,000 limit had been placed on financial support from other emergency funds available to the Governor.
Norden said in the meantime Custer and Fremont Counties had been notified Monday by Deb Downs that issuing formal disaster declarations for the Duckett Fire would put both counties in a better position with the State of Colorado when emergency funds are prioritized.
By mid-week the Duckett Fire had encompassed 4,358 acres. Of that land area, the fire had burnt a total of 1,008 acres in Fremont County. It consumed 584 acres of U.S. Forest Service land, 105 acres of B.L.M. land, and 319 acres of private land in Fremont County. Much of the private land acreage in Fremont County was ranch land. Rancher Rod Canterbury had to move his cattle to other pastures after most of his cattle’s grass was lost in the fire. Although the fire had threatened the Eagle Peak subdivision, firefighters were able to prevent any damage to structures and all evacuees were allowed to return home.