Governor Polis Verbally Declares Disaster Emergency In Response to Ferris Fire in Dolores and Montezuma Counties

DENVER - Today, Governor Polis verbally declared a disaster emergency in response to the Ferris Fire which is burning in Dolores and Montezuma Counties and is currently estimated to be 57,356 acres total and is 19% contained.

The Governor's verbal declaration activates the State Emergency Operations Plan and directs the Department of Public Safety and its Divisions of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) and Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) to take responsibility for all response, recovery, and mitigation efforts on the Ferris Fire. This support includes State and interagency engines and handcrews, DFPC and interagency aviation resources, and incident management personnel and overhead to assist in management of the fire and containment efforts. In addition, DFPC is supporting Dolores and Montezuma Counties and the incident with administrative and financial oversight and intelligence products that include imaging, mapping, and fire behavior modeling and projects. DHSEM is directly supporting the Dolores and Montezuma County Emergency Managers and the emergency operations center with on-site area field managers. This declaration also authorizes the National Guard to assist in response efforts and makes it easier for out-of-state licensed emergency medical providers to assist in fire response efforts.

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