PUEBLO AND CUSTER COUNTIES, Colo. (KOAA) — Since the Aspen Acres Fire began, in-person and online updates from incident command and fire officials have been vital for impacted residents.
Elizabeth Velasco is one person you may hear, but not see, during the Spanish version of these updates. The former wildland firefighter was contracted to translate daily updates on the fire, the English version being most commonly seen on the Aspen Acres Fire 2026 Facebook page.
“The state of Colorado is very diverse," said Velasco. "I think that for the Alaska (Complex Incident Management) Team, it was important that they set up a strong foundation to make sure that everyone has access to information.”
According to Velasco, she worked under the Alaska Incident Management team as a public information officer during a wildfire in her home of Glenwood Springs in 2020. She says the agency hired her again to help with language access during Aspen Acres.
This time, she is doing so through her own agency, Global Language Services.
“I think that it’s very important to have inclusive emergency response whenever there’s a natural disaster," said Velasco.
Velasco's voiced-over translations end up on the Aspen Acres Fire 2026 - en Español Facebook page. She also serves as a Spanish interpreter for in-person community meetings on the fire.
For Velasco, the importance of language accessibility hits close to home.
“I’m an immigrant myself," Velasco said. "My mom doesn’t speak English and I think when there’s an emergency, there’s life and death information.”
Velasco says her goal is to make sure no one gets left behind through language access.
Email Senior Reporter Meghan Glova at meghan.glova@koaa.com.
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