UPDATES

Brenda Fielding 8/12/25 Brenda Fielding 8/12/25

Spring 2025 Update

Please click on Spring 2025 Update for an article from the Pine Brook Press about the Community Safety Fair held on May 3 at the Pine Brook Hills station.

Brenda Fielding 4/2/25 Brenda Fielding 4/2/25

Winter 2025 Update

Please click on Winter 2025 Update for details of upcoming events, including the Annual Community Safety Fair (May 3, 2025) and Wildflower Hike (May 31, 2025).

Brenda Fielding 12/29/24 Brenda Fielding 12/29/24

Auxiliary Update December 2024

Please click here to read about the recent “Wildlife, Wildfires and Well-Being” meeting held at Station 2 in Boulder Heights. Presentations given at the meeting covered local wildlife, safe mountain living, and fire mitigation strategies.

Brenda Fielding 9/27/24 Brenda Fielding 9/27/24

Auxiliary Update September, 2024

Please click here to read the article that was published in the Pine Brook Press recently. The article includes information about Nature Sessions and the 2024 Boulder Mountain Handmade Market.

Brenda Fielding 6/1/24 Brenda Fielding 6/1/24

Auxiliary Update June, 2024

Please click here to read the article that was published in the Pine Brook Press recently. The article includes a survey to determine interest in some summer education topics that were discussed in the last Auxiliary member meeting.

Brenda Fielding 2/20/24 Brenda Fielding 2/20/24

Auxiliary Update Jan 2024

To read “Auxiliary Charts Course for 2024” by Susan Schiff, please click on Auxiliary Update Jan 2024

Sue Brundege 5/17/22 Sue Brundege 5/17/22

APRIL 24, 2022 Auxiliary Meeting

To read Susan Schiff’s summary of the meeting, and the ceremony held to celebrate the life of Catherine Von Hatten , please click here

Sue Brundege 4/17/22 Sue Brundege 4/17/22

Community Safety Fair, Sat May 14

Community Safety Fair

Sat, May 14 2022, 10 am to 2 pm

BMFPD Station 1 at 1905 Linden, Boulder CO 80304

For more information, see Community Safety Fair page

Sue Brundege 7/1/21 Sue Brundege 7/1/21

Summer 2021 Auxiliary Report

Summer 2021

By Rebecca Bratburd

By all indications, we are looking at the same or worse wildland fire conditions in 2021 compared to 2020, our new neighbors learned during our most recent New Resident Welcome. While this spring’s rain pushed back the start of the fire season, it enabled more grass to grow. When this grass dries out in June and July, it will become fuel for wildfires, Boulder Mountain Fire Protection District Chief John Benson said. Households from Pine Brook Hills, Boulder Heights, and Carriage Hills learned about the services offered by the mitigation crew, from property assessments, to gutter cleaning, and tree removal for fire sustainability.

Now is the time to make sure your household is fire safe. Visit our online Community Safety Store: www.bouldermountainfireauxiliary.org/community-safety-store. This time of year, we like to ask these three questions to keep you out of harm’s way:

1. Have you tested your fire extinguishers this year? If your extinguishers need to be replaced, Chief Benson’s top picks are available for sale in the Community Safety Store.

2. Are your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors up to date? Did you know that Boulder County code calls for detectors in every bedroom and every level of your house? Check to make sure your detectors are still working because sensors can fail over time.

3. Can your house number signs be easily seen by first responders coming from either direction, and at night? After winter, clean or replace your house number signs. You can find a reflective house number and stake kit online in the store.

Even households that answered “yes” to all of the above questions may have more preparation to do to improve fire sustainability.

For a comprehensive guide on home fire safety, grab a copy of The Fire Smart Home Handbook: Preparing for and Surviving the Threat of Wildfire, written by BMFPD resident, Clyde Soles.

During the New Resident Welcome, a question arose about composting and fire safety. For those scratching their heads: compost generates heat, and can spontaneously combust. Chief Benson has seen one fire originate from composting, and it caused part of a house and a shed to catch fire. Be aware of the heat that composting generates. A longtime resident in attendance mentioned that bears and other wildlife can destroy structures built around compost piles. Have you successfully composted in your backyard? We’d like to hear about it. Email: aux.president@bouldermountainfire.org

In other news, Boulder Mountain Handmade, our 45-year festival celebrating handmade art, crafts, and specialty food products in the Boulder area, returns to Elks Lodge on November 13 and 14, 2021. This is the Auxiliary’s primary fundraiser to benefit the fire department. We look forward to welcoming our artisan vendors, our many volunteers, and our loyal guests for our annual celebration of the arts in 2021.

Contact us at BMHArt@bouldermountainfireauxiliary.org to be added to our contact list. Visit bouldermountainhandmade.com for updates.

The invitation to join the Auxiliary, the organization that supports our fire district in a number of ways, is always open: www.bouldermountainfireauxiliary.org.

Sue Brundege 4/1/21 Sue Brundege 4/1/21

Spring 2021 Auxiliary Report

Spring 2021

By Rebecca Bratburd

Can bears open doors? Can charcoal and wood embers continue smoldering for up to seven days? Is it Fire Chief John Benson’s goal to see a green, reflective address number next to every driveway in the neighborhood?

With the fire district’s subdivisions welcoming around 50 new residents over the past 18 months, Boulder Mountain Fire’s (BMFPD) support arm, the Auxiliary, hosted its New Resident Welcome last quarter on Zoom. Following an intense wildfire season, the meeting’s speakers and its 23 attendees were eager to talk about wildland fire preparation. In case you didn’t know, the answer to all of the questions is a resounding YES!

Mountain living differs from city living in ways that may not be obvious. Newcomers learned about various challenges, including how to handle trash and recycling pickup without disturbing wildlife, and how to be ready for the power outages that happen with regularity. Fortunately, BMFPD’s website (bouldermountainfire.org) provides a great resource for mountain living preparedness.

For instance, evacuation routes for Pine Brook Hills, Carriage Hills and Boulder Heights were updated in 2020 and maps are available on the website. All property owners in the area are entitled to a free wildfire mitigation assessment. Schedule a time for a visit, and members of the “Mit Crew” will come to your site to discuss the ways to make it safer and more resistant to wildfires. Ash buckets, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide alarms, and reflective house number kits can be purchased from the Auxiliary’s online store.

While Chief Benson and the department’s members are here for the community, it’s crucial to call 911 with emergencies—not the fire station. If you see smoke, but you’re not sure how imminent the danger is, call 911.

If we can do anything to help you learn more about the neighborhood, including volunteer information, or to settle in, feel free to reach out to BMFPD or the Auxiliary.

Auxiliary Spring Meeting:

The next meeting of the BMFPD Auxiliary, to be held virtually via ZOOM, is scheduled for April 18 at 3:00. To receive the meeting link, please contact Ann Harsh, aharsh@comcast.net. Everyone is welcome!

RESOURCES:

How to watch the welcome session recording:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share TYzzB72d79U9NwldRqaAbIIc3iaU7777lLn_ER8Pbehhgdw0L5vqAgDcw9x_PFJP.B5r6Zbj-bNWYNwhp

Passcode: 4$0G4jxH