History of FLMFPD

Community Origins

The Fort Lewis Mesa Fire Protection District was born out of tragedy and community determination. On July 31, 1961, the Pat Greer home burned to the ground. With no local fire protection, neighbors realized they needed to take action.

A small group, including Pat and Dick Greer, Russell and Gene Kennedy, and Howard Chastain, began fundraising with raffles, auctions, and even door-to-door donations. Their first truck, a 1957 Dodge dump truck, was purchased in 1964 and converted into a fire engine with help from volunteers.

By 1969, the department answered its first remembered fire at the Benton family's bean shed. They had little training, no backup water, and few resources—but they had determination. Families quickly joined in, forming what would later become the Fire Auxiliary, providing food, babysitting, and fundraising support.

Becoming a Fire District

In 1981, the department trained its first EMT, and the push toward emergency medical care began.

In 1982, the community voted to form the Fort Lewis Mesa Fire Protection District (FLMFPD). A $250,000 bond funded equipment and facilities, and the first official firehouse was built at Kline in 1984. By 1983, the department already had 5 EMTs and 23 firefighters.

Growth and Major Fires

The 1990s and 2000s brought steady expansion and new challenges. Major wildfires shaped the department's history, including the 1994 Blackridge Fire (12,000 acres, then Colorado's second-largest fire) and the 2002 Missionary Ridge Fire, one of the most destructive in La Plata County's history.

Alongside wildfires, the department responded to countless structure fires, medical calls, accidents, and community emergencies. Not every call was tragic—like the Schwann's truck accident that left firefighters with free steaks for the summer picnic.

Modernization and Expansion

From 2005 to 2010, FLMFPD added three new fire stations and greatly expanded water storage across the mesa. In 2010, voters approved a tax increase and expanded the district to include the northwest "no-man's land." That year, FLM responded to three major structure fires; by 2011, they handled 161 calls in a single year.

Between 2007 and 2012, donations of vehicles and equipment from neighboring districts—including brush trucks, ambulances, and pumpers—helped modernize the fleet.

In 2019, Station 1 underwent a major expansion, rededicated in 2021. Station 6, first leased in 2019 for water storage, was purchased in 2023 for future development.

Today

The Fort Lewis Mesa Fire Protection District now covers 357 square miles of southwest La Plata County. The district is staffed by a Chief, Wildland Coordinator/Mechanic, EMS Training Officer, and nearly 30 volunteer firefighters and EMTs. The Fire Auxiliary and community members continue to provide support just as they did in the early years.

From a single converted dump truck to a modern fleet across six stations, the story of Fort Lewis Mesa Fire is one of perseverance, teamwork, and community spirit.