Ouray Volunteer Fire Department

10/07/2026

09/16/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Ouray County rescinds all fire restrictions for unincorporated areas

Ouray County, Colo. – After consultation with all of our local fire chiefs, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Weather Service, Interagency Dispatch, National Park Service, and the counties within our fire zone, the Ouray County Sheriff has determined that we can now rescind all fire restrictions for Ouray County. All fire restrictions within the unincorporated areas of Ouray County (not the Town of Ridgway or City of Ouray) will be rescinded effective 12:01 a.m., Friday, September 18, 2026.

As a reminder, the Sheriff reviews a wide range of factors, including recent and forecasted weather, precipitation, fuel moisture levels, fire danger indices, human-caused fire starts, fire behavior and spread on current incidents, availability of firefighting resources, and other conditions affecting wildfire risk throughout the region. Fire restrictions are not based on any single factor; they are based on the overall conditions and the best available fire-weather and fuels information.

Fire restrictions are often put into place and rescinded throughout the season, and it’s important for community members and visitors to always double-check if restrictions are in place, and when in doubt, DON’T BURN.

For more fire-related information on Colorado’s Western Slope please visit: http://www.westslopefireinfo.com/

Community members and visitors are encouraged to sign-up for Emergency Notifications through Ouray County Alerts: https://ouraycountyco.gov/434/Emergency-Notifications

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09/12/2026

What an incredible turnout for tonight’s 9/11 Tribute Walk. 🇺🇸

Thank you to everyone who joined us in walking in remembrance of the lives lost on September 11, 2001, and in honor of the first responders and everyday heroes who showed extraordinary courage that day.

It means so much to see our community come together to remember, reflect, and honor their legacy.

We will never forget. ❤️🤍💙

09/10/2026

Tomorrow, on September 11, Ouray Volunteer Fire Department invites our community to join us in remembrance. 🇺🇸

Together, we will walk approximately 2,200 steps, symbolizing the 110 stories of the World Trade Center, as we honor the lives lost and the first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001.

📍 Meet at the Ouray Firehouse (320 6th Ave.)
🗓 Friday, September 11
⏰ 5:30 PM
❤️ All are welcome

This year marks 25 years since 9/11. We hope you’ll join us as we walk together in honor, remembrance, and gratitude.

We will never forget.

09/08/2026

This September 11, Ouray Volunteer Fire Department invites our community to join us in remembrance. 🇺🇸

Together, we will walk approximately 2,200 steps, symbolizing the 110 stories of the World Trade Center, as we honor the lives lost and the first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001.

📍 Meet at the Ouray Firehouse
🗓 Friday, September 11
⏰ 5:30 PM
❤️ All are welcome

This year marks 25 years since 9/11. We hope you’ll join us as we walk together in honor, remembrance, and gratitude❤️

09/07/2026

Tender 11 is parade bound! 🚒🇺🇸

Heading out to enjoy the Labor Day Parade in Ridgway. We’re always proud to represent Ouray Volunteer Fire Department and be part of this great community!

Happy Labor Day from OVFD! ❤️🤍💙

08/13/2026

It’s hard to put into words just how grateful we are for the support shown to OVFD throughout the Gold Mountain Fire. ❤️

To our community, thank you for every donation, meal, supply, message and word of encouragement. Your support has meant more than you know.

To the firefighters, hotshot crews, pilots, incident management teams, law enforcement, emergency personnel and so many others who came from near and far to help protect our community, thank you. We are incredibly grateful for every one of you.

We also remember and honor Nicholas Dale, who lost his life while supporting firefighting efforts on the Gold Mountain Fire. His sacrifice will not be forgotten, and our thoughts remain with his family, friends and fellow firefighters.

From all of us at OVFD, THANK YOU. We are proud to serve this community and even prouder to call it home. ❤️🚒

07/30/2026

Tomorrow, we have a Storytime with a Firefighter!
We hope to see you there!

07/20/2026

Wildfire Terminology 101 | What Do Those Daily Updates Really Mean?

Wildland firefighters use a lot of terminology in daily operations updates, here’s a quick guide to some of the most common terms you might hear on the :

🔥 Fireline – A barrier built to stop or slow the spread of a wildfire. Fireline may be constructed by hand, with heavy equipment, or by using natural features like rock outcroppings or roads.

📈 Containment – Containment refers to the percentage of the fire's perimeter that firefighters are confident the fire will not cross. It does not mean that percentage of the fire has been extinguished. A section of fireline is only considered contained after crews are confident it will hold, even under changing weather conditions.

🛠️ Improving Line – Strengthening an existing fireline to make it more effective. This might include widening it, removing remaining vegetation, cooling nearby hot spots, or reinforcing weak areas.

👀 Patrolling – Firefighters regularly inspect completed sections of fireline, looking for smoke, heat, or anything that could threaten containment. Patrol crews quickly address any issues they find to ensure the line continues to hold.

🌲 Brushing – Cutting and removing shrubs, small trees, and other vegetation along or near a fireline to reduce available fuel and create safer working conditions for firefighters.

🪵 Chipping – Feeding cut branches and small trees into a wood chipper to quickly dispose of vegetation removed during line construction. This helps reduce fuel and keeps roads and work areas clear.

🚜 Dozer – A bulldozer specially assigned to wildfire operations. Dozers remove vegetation and scrape away organic material to quickly build containment lines where terrain allows.

💧 Mop-Up – Extinguishing or cooling remaining hot spots near the fireline by digging out burning material, applying water, or separating fuels to ensure the fire can't cross the line.

🌡️ Hot Spot – An area of lingering heat that can continue to smolder or potentially reignite if conditions become favorable.

🌲 Snag – A dead or damaged tree that could fall without warning. Removing hazardous snags is an important part of keeping firefighters safe.

🚁 Air Attack – The aircraft that coordinates all firefighting aviation resources over the incident, ensuring helicopters and air tankers operate safely and effectively.

📡 UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) – Commonly called a drone, these aircraft are used by the incident to map the fire, detect heat with infrared cameras, assess conditions, and support firefighters on the ground.

Wildfire response involves hundreds of people and many specialized tools and tactics. We hope these updates help make the daily operations reports easier to understand and provide a better picture of the work happening behind the scenes to protect communities and strengthen containment.

If there are other terms you'd like us to clarify, please comment below!

07/06/2026

What Containment Really Means: A Wildfire Isn’t Out Until It’s Out

When you hear that a wildfire is contained or has partial containment, it’s easy to assume the fire is almost out—but that’s not the case. Containment refers to the portion of a wildfire’s perimeter where control lines—such as hand-dug firebreaks, bulldozer lines or natural barriers—have been completed to prevent the fire from spreading. It does not mean that the fire is no longer burning or that it’s safe to return to the area.

Take the Beehive Fire, for example, which recently reached 11% containment from 0%. That indicates that this is the percentage of the fire’s edge that is surrounded by established lines and barriers that firefighters are confident will hold. However, within the interior of the fire, hot spots may still be smoldering and crews remain on scene to patrol and mop up areas of lingering heat to prevent flare-ups. This fire is still actively being fought on multiple fronts, and its potential to spread remains, especially with changes in weather, terrain or wind.

Even when a wildfire is mostly contained, it can stay dangerous until fully extinguished—a process that can take days, weeks, or months. Containment measures firefighting progress, not whether a fire is out. Evacuations may remain, and crews stay on scene to eliminate all heat, smoke and embers, above and below ground, to prevent reignition. Containment progress is encouraging, but the fire isn’t truly over until it’s completely out.

For information on the Beehive Fire, go to: https://bit.ly/Beehive-Fire-2026