On Thursday, U.S. Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), visited with town officials, including Mayor Wendy Koenig, Fire Chief David Wolf , Estes Police Captain /Emergency Manager Eric Rose, Rocky Mountain Park Superintendent Darla Sidles, Glen Haven Fire Chief Kevin Zagorda, Town Administrator Travis Machalek and Estes Valley Fire Public Information Officer, Erika Goetz.
“I visited the Estes Park Emergency Operations Center to hear from local leaders about how the East Troublesome fire and Cameron Peak fire have affected nearby communities,” Senator Bennet said. “We owe a debt of gratitude to the firefighters, first responders, and community leaders for their fire response and recovery efforts. We will work at the federal level to support Estes Park and all affected communities as they rebuild and recover.”
One of the topics discussed was where the fire threat currently stands. The reprieve of last week’s snowstorm has given firefighters a chance to directly engage the fire and create better defensive lines for the Estes Valley, leading to a more positive outlook. Much of what was done correctly in preparation and research of previous fires had gone into local emergency planning, and training this was evidenced by the Estes Valley being able to evacuate all residents, employees, and visitors in a safe and quick manner in under 5 hours.
It was also stressed by all local officials just how crucial and effective interagency mutual aid was, including the 36 engines from across the front range that came to the aid of the Estes Valley during the surge call out.
The Congressman and Senator also heard Glen Haven Fire Cheif, Kevin Zagorda’s concerns for the members of the Glen Haven Volunteer Fire Department who took time off their jobs to help save their community. Both of our visiting elected officials said they would try and assist with getting the volunteers paid for their firefighting efforts on the Cameron Peak Fire. Zagorda also said that there has been a huge outpouring of support for the volunteer department.
There were also questions asked of local officials regarding recovery, specifically, dealing with complications to the local watershed after such large wildfires and what issues may need to be looked at once the fires are out.
The meeting was concluded with remarks by both the Congressman and Senator that Estes Park, having dealt with so many co-occurring disasters, is truly “Mountain Strong.”
