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Arapahoe County commissioners endorse updated cooperative wildfire protection agreement
Summary
County staff presented an updated fire operating agreement that clarifies how local, county and state agencies coordinate suppression and share costs; the Board gave unanimous informal approval to place the agreement on consent.
Arapahoe County commissioners on Wednesday signaled support for an updated cooperative wildfire protection agreement that formalizes how local districts, the county and the state share responsibilities and costs during large wildfires.
The update, presented to the Arapahoe County Board of County Commissioners, reflects changes to an intergovernmental operating plan. County staff said the plan describes when the county may assume suppression responsibility from a fire district and when the state would assume responsibility as incidents exceed local and county resources.
Nate Fogg, staff member, told the board the update codifies existing practice and gains access to state initial-attack resources, including aircraft operated by the Colorado Firefighter Air Corps and state-owned hand crews and engines that can be mobilized to prevent incidents from expanding.
The distinction in the agreement, Fogg said, is largely financial and operational: when a fire district exhausts its resources the county can assume responsibility; when county resources are likewise exhausted the state can take over, which shifts eligible cost-bearing authority.
Commissioner Jeff Baker asked whether the updated document has an expiration; Fogg said the item moved from an annual fire operating plan to a five-year update cycle, and the county will not need to revisit the agreement for about five years. Commissioners also recalled a 2023 incident in which local resources were overwhelmed and county and state air support were mobilized.
The board indicated support by voice and hand signals. For the record, the commissioners recorded four thumbs-up and Commissioner Campbell was absent and excused; staff said the item will be placed on the consent agenda for formal approval.
The presentation did not cite a specific statute or ordinance; staff described the update as an operational agreement aligned with state and federal firefighting protocols.
BoCC action and next steps: county staff will place the updated cooperative wildfire protection agreement on a future consent agenda for formal adoption and signature. The board did not take a roll-call recorded vote during the discussion; the meeting record shows four commissioners indicated support and one commissioner absent.
