September 23, 2025
Work is officially underway on the wildfire safety project along Gilpin County’s key evacuation routes. On September 22, representatives from Timberline Fire Protection District, the U.S. Forest Service, and Gilpin County gathered on Gilpin Road to mark the start of the project.
Attendees included:
- Timberline Fire: Chief Paul Ondr, Jen Lomeli, Andrew Steffe, Brandon Briardy
- U.S. Forest Service: Max Forgensi, Kevin McLaughlin
- Gilpin County: Commissioner Jeff Aiken, Commissioner Susan Berumen, Commissioner Sandy Hollingsworth, and Andrew Decker
Starting tomorrow, Timberline Fire crews will begin work on Forest Service land along Gilpin Road between Columbine Lane and Highway 119. Crews will be removing hazardous trees and overgrown vegetation within 30 feet of the road shoulder to improve wildfire safety and ensure clearer evacuation routes.
⚠️ Please slow down in the area for the safety of the fire crews working along the roadside.
This project will continue in phases through December 2026 as part of a countywide effort to reduce wildfire risk and strengthen community resilience.
August 29, 2025
Gilpin County and Timberline Fire Protection District are working in partnership with the USDA Forest Service’s Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests to reduce wildfire risk and increase wildfire safety along priority evacuation corridors in Gilpin County. This project, which is currently in the planning process, will focus on removing hazardous trees and overgrown vegetation within 30 feet of the road shoulders. The first phase will focus on Gilpin, Lump Gulch, Missouri Gulch, Wedgewood, La Chula Vista and Pickle Gulch roads. Timberline Fire will be responsible for implementing the work, which could begin in mid-September 2025 and continue through December 2026. Fire crews, working with chainsaws, will focus on removing dead, down and leaning trees, and smaller green trees under 5 inches. Slash will be removed or burned. Larger trees will be stacked near the roads and will be available for collection by people with a valid firewood collection permit from the Forest Service. Timberline Fire and Gilpin County will be responsible for traffic management and communications during the course of the project.
We will update this article with dates and locations as they become available.