GUERNSEY – It could be two years or more before the official investigation is concluded to answer the question of why the Pleasant Valley fire was started, but the bottom-line cost for fire …
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GUERNSEY – It could be two years or more before the official investigation is concluded to answer the question of why the Pleasant Valley fire was started, but the bottom-line cost for fire districts is a little clearer. And, in the opinion of a growing number of firefighters including Platte County fire warden Aaron Clark, county commissioner Steve Shockley, and Guernsey Rural Fire District’s fire chief David Warner, there are inequalities in the state’s Emergency Fire Suppression Account (EFSA) funding that should be addressed by state legislators.
The Pleasant Valley Fire, which burned 28,984 acres from Guernsey to Ft. Laramie, and the final tally for the costs accrued by all agencies involved in the firefighting effort, was $5.5 million. The cost for fire districts in Platte County, as submitted to the EFSA, totaled $227,219.83.
Of that, the districts who assisted with mutual aid received 100 percent funding for personnel and equipment costs accrued during the fire. The “host district” (the one in whose territory the fire started burning) receives 100 percent compensation for personnel, but only receives 25 percent from the EFSA to cover the equipment costs (fuel, tires, equipment, repairs or replacement) incurred in fighting the fire, placing an added financial burden on them. In the case of Guernsey Rural Fire District, that will have to come out of their savings account.
The EFSA’s fee schedule is set by the Wildland Cooperative Fire Control Agreement, an annual agreement between the federal, state, and regional agencies, including the Wyoming state board of land commissioners’ state forestry division. Wyoming Statute 36-1-4-2 was established by the Wyoming legislature to govern an Emergency Fire Suppression Account which sets aside funds for wildfire relief efforts, and functions similar to an insurance policy to participating fire districts, though it isn’t insurance.
As explained by fire warden Clark, in Platte County, the fire districts collectively pay an annual premium of $8,500 to the EFSA, and if there is a need to “open up” the account to pay the cost of a fire, the host district is required to pay a deductible equal to the cost of the premium ($8,500) to release funding to pay for costs accrued during fire suppression efforts. Once the account has been opened the funding remains available for participating districts for any fire in which they need funding assistance until the conclusion of the fire season. Additionally, only tax-funded fire districts (those with property tax mill levies) receive compensation, not city-funded departments.
When it comes to the numbers post-fire, Guernsey Rural Fire Department is sitting in the negative by an estimate of $30,000 stemming in large part from repair costs to their fleet of wildland firefighting vehicles.
“That is just a rough guess; we’re still down five vehicles that are being repaired as quickly as possible,” Chief Warner said. Warner said the district works to keep its vehicles in good shape and has the best equipment available for the type of fires for their area.
Repairs after the fire have included fixing items like springs, torque rods, an engine, rear ends, a tank-protecting rack, etc. According to EFSA paperwork, after being docked to receive only 25 percent compensation for total expenses incurred, Guernsey Rural received $10,887.50. After the $8,500 “floor cost” was deducted out of the check, they walked away with a sum total of $2,387.75 to pay for the fuel, maintenance, tires, and repair costs incurred during the intense eight-day battle in early August to bring Pleasant Valley Fire under control.
As discussed by county commissioners during their Sept. 4 meeting, and confirmed by the county fire warden, the other fire districts in Platte County stepped in to help. They each agreed to help Guernsey Rural by donating six percent of their allotted compensation from the EFSA to help pay the floor cost. The commissioners donated the use of two dozers to the blaze (resulting in $15,568.50 of compensation from the EFSA) but chose not to contribute a portion to Guernsey Rural Fire District.