DENVER - Today, Governor Polis verbally declared a disaster emergency in response to the Schwachheim Fire burning near Trinidad. This fire is currently estimated at over 300 acres (Editor's Note: 450 acres according to Watch Duty) and is burning within the Lake Dorothey State Wildlife Area.

This 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 all necessary and appropriate actions to assist with response, recovery, and mitigation efforts. This support includes engine and hand crews to assist in containment efforts, DFPC aerial resources, and the DFPC-sponsored Type 3 Incident Management Team to manage incident response efforts.