Governor Jared Polis verbally declared a disaster emergency on May 17 in response to the Sharpe Fire burning in Baca County. The fire has reached an estimated size of over 28,000 acres and led to an evacuation order for the Town of Campos.
The declaration activates the State Emergency Operations Plan and tasks the Department of Public Safety, along with its Divisions of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) and Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC), with leading all response, recovery, and mitigation efforts related to the Sharpe Fire.
State support includes deployment of state and interagency engines, handcrews, DFPC and interagency aviation resources, as well as incident management personnel. These teams are assisting with fire management and containment operations. The DFPC is also providing administrative oversight, financial support, imaging, mapping services, as well as fire behavior modeling for ongoing projects.
Additionally, DHSEM is supporting local officials by assigning area field managers directly to assist the Baca County Emergency Manager at the county’s emergency operations center.
Officials have not provided further details about potential impacts or future steps but emphasized that state agencies remain actively involved in supporting local efforts.
