craigdailypress.com

Moffat County Commissioner Tom Gray was recently appointed to the Emergency Fire Fund Committee, an organization formed to help pay for fighting fires in rural Colorado.

A 10-person committee comprised of county commissioners, sheriffs, fire chiefs and the state forester oversee the administration of the fund, which distributes money to counties involved with fighting fires that threaten homes and private property.

"We were able to use the fund last year when fire threatened the community of Greystone," Gray said.

Moffat County received a reimbursement of $294,000 after the Thomas fire burned 3,800 acres and threatened Greystone in June 2006.

The funds covered the cost of two airplane fire-retardant drops on the fire, as well as two days of Hotshot crews being stationed at the fire.

The Thomas fire was the first time that Moffat County had requested funds to help cover the cost of fighting a fire.

Currently, 43 Colorado counties and the Denver Water Board contribute to the fund, and contributions are adjusted using a formula that calculates the amount of private watershed land and annual property tax valuation in each county.

Emergency funding requests must originate from the county sheriff, and state forester approval is required.

The Emergency Fire Fund has been exhausted six times, four of those occurring since 2000. The governor has, through Executive Order, provided funding to support the Emergency Fire Fund fires each time the fund has been exhausted.

When the Emergency Fire Fund is implemented, Colorado State Forest Service assumes responsibility and authority for all suppression activity until the fire is returned to county responsibility.

Dan Olsen can be reached at 824-7031, ext. 207, or dolsen@craigdailypress.com.