PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — Monday's Red Flag Warning is keeping fire departments in the Pueblo area on high alert for wildfires.
The Pueblo Fire Department says on Red Flag days, they have an extra crew on duty to drive a brush truck and patrol different areas, keeping an eye out for wildfires.
Most of the fire departments in Pueblo County, which include the following agencies, do the same:
- Pueblo West Fire Department
- Pueblo Rural Fire Protection District
- Beulah Fire Protection and Ambulance District
"Fires are usually caught in the incipient stage, which is the beginning stage of the fire," said Assistant Pueblo Fire Chief Stephen Fassi. "The quicker we get to it and get water on it and start working it, the better chance we have before it gets out of control, especially on these windy days."
Pueblo Fire Chief Barb Huber tells News5 the brush truck was used on 133 fires last year. That's down from 174 fires in 2024.
Huber says the moisture the area saw last year helped reduce the number of fires from the year before.
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