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Fire Crews Save Campo and Line Holds Overnight as Sharpe Fire Burns Estimated 28,200 Acres
Description: The Sharpe Fire started in Oklahoma and pushed into southeast Colorado, forcing a mandatory evacuation in Campo as firefighters, law enforcement, emergency crews, pilots, farmers, ranchers, utility crews and community volunteers worked together to protect homes, land and lives.
The Sharpe Fire: A Community Tested by Fire, Wind, and Fear
On a day that many in southeast Colorado will not soon forget, the Sharpe Fire started in Oklahoma and pushed north into Colorado, becoming a fast-moving and dangerous wildfire that threatened the town of Campo.
As the fire moved directly toward Campo, conditions changed quickly. The threat became serious enough that a mandatory evacuation was ordered for the town. Families were forced to leave their homes, not knowing what they would return to, while placing their trust in firefighters, law enforcement, emergency management, ranchers, farmers, pilots, equipment operators, and countless others working together to protect their community.
Kiowa County Fire Protection District was requested for mutual aid as the fire continued to grow and move rapidly. Kiowa County units responded at approximately 1:15 p.m. and did not return home until around 12:30 a.m.
KCFPD responded with:
* 2 — 500-gallon brush trucks, each staffed with 2 firefighters
* 1 — 2,000-gallon water tender staffed with 2 firefighters
* 1 — command vehicle staffed with 2 firefighters
One of our command personnel and a firefighter assistant was assigned to provide division-level incident command for the fire east of Campo, where the fire threatened the cemetery and several homes east of town.
The fire conditions were intense and constantly changing. Staging locations had to be moved multiple times as the fire threatened different areas. Crews worked in heavy smoke, shifting winds, and dangerous fire behavior while trying to stay ahead of a fire that was moving across open country with speed and force.
The photos show only a small part of what was happening on the ground and in the air. Air support from the National Forest Service made retardant drops while ground crews worked to build and hold fire lines. Maintainers, tractors with blades and discs, brush trucks, water tenders, nurse trailers, and countless pieces of equipment were all part of the effort. While some crews were creating fire lines and extinguishing active fire, others were assisting with backburn operations after the fire was turned over to the state. The large fireball flares seen in some of the photos were part of those backburn assignments, used to remove fuel and help stop the forward progress of the fire.
This was not just a fire department response. This was a full community and regional effort.
Support came from multiple volunteer fire agencies, incident command staff, the EOC, sheriff’s offices, utility companies, ranchers, farmers, equipment operators, CDOT, and local citizens. Water tenders and nurse trailers kept water moving. Tractors with blades and discs helped cut line. Maintainers worked ground. Food and drinks showed up for responders — pizza, hamburgers, snack bars, beef sticks, boxes of fruit, water, Gatorade, and more.
Even when equipment issues came up, people stepped in. One of our trucks developed a cracked radiator reservoir, and an individual from Springfield opened up his parts store and helped get the needed part delivered so the truck could stay in the fight. That kind of support may seem small to some, but on a fire like this, those moments matter.
The town of Campo may be small, but the people there are fierce, resilient, and strong. They left their homes with uncertainty in their hearts, but also with trust and hope that first responders and everyone involved would do everything possible to protect their little piece of comfort they call home.
To the families who evacuated, thank you for your cooperation and patience during an incredibly stressful situation. To the firefighters, law enforcement officers, CDOT, dispatchers, pilots, equipment operators, ranchers, farmers, utility crews, mechanics, food providers, water haulers, command staff, EOC personnel, and everyone else who helped — thank you.
To the local communities who offered prayers, supplies, encouragement, and support — thank you. Those prayers and that support were felt.
Wildfires like this remind us how quickly things can change, how dangerous our conditions can become, and how much we rely on one another when it matters most. No single agency, truck, aircraft, tractor, or crew stops a fire like this alone. It takes everyone.
Our thoughts remain with the landowners, residents, firefighters, and all those affected by the Sharp Fire. We are grateful for the safe return of evacuated families, thankful for the work done by so many, and proud to stand beside our neighboring communities when they call for help.
If anyone would like to tag or comment an individual or agency that has assisted on this fire, please feel free to do so. There were so many, I couldn’t have even come close to getting them all.
- Russ Watson, Kiowa County Fire Chief
Photos by Russ Watson
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