Posted by Lisa Coalwell Loveland Fire Rescue Authority Board Meeting Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 1:30 PM On Wednesday, April 29, the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority board members will be discussing the proposed 2027 budget -- which is a $9,900,000 increase over the 2026 budget -- as well as deciding on ways to search for a new fire chief, and how much that search will cost. You can see the 129-page information packet the board members will use at the meeting, as well as the a

On last weeks GMRS Net, neighbor Mike O. provided some great Fire Safety tips. Here is a summary of that conversation. The greatest probability of any of us encountering fire near our homes comes from ignition sources within our homes. Before anything else, make sure your egress pathways and doors are not cluttered or difficult to open—your ability to escape quickly is critical. Have adequate fire extinguishers and fire extinguishing blankets readily available Clean your woo

4-2-26: Posted by Gib and Lisa Coalwell What is a Neighborhood Buddy System for Emergencies? The Buddy System is a way for neighbors to check on each other during an emergency situation. What do Buddies do? During an emergency, neighborhood buddies contact each other to make sure each person is aware of the emergency, and to see if anyone in the group needs help. Contact methods: Phone calls, texts, emails, Pinewood Slack group, Pinewood GMRS radios, physical visit Help that

Properly maintained equipment is the backbone of effective wildfire mitigation. Whether you are clearing brush around your home or helping with a larger community project, knowing how to handle a chainsaw safely and efficiently is a critical skill. As a pre-conference opportunity for the Colorado Wildland Fire Conference , a full-day, hands-on classroom session is coming to Fort Collins this April. This course is designed to take the guesswork out of operation and ensure you

3-25-26 (updated 4-27-26): Posted by Lisa Coalwell The Loveland Fire Rescue Authority has two governing boards: The "Rural" Board The Loveland Rural Fire Protection District Board (LRFPD) handles tax money collected from rural residents for the fire department (the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority). This map shows how large the rural tax base is (pink areas are in the city, all other colored areas are designated as rural): Under an intergovernmental agreement, the Rural board

3-25-26: Posted by Lisa Coalwell Updated 5-6-26 by Lisa Coalwell Update The commissioners extended and increased the restrictions through May 26, 2026. Here is an excerpt from the update on the Larimer County website: As of 12:01 a.m., May 6, 2026, increased fire restrictions for the unincorporated portions of Larimer County go into effect. The restrictions will stay in effect until 11:59 p.m., May 26, 2026. This restriction includes limitations on combustible devices and in

Full post includes updates on Fire Chief Sendelbach and LFRA Board UPDATED 3-20-26 by Lisa Coalwell Chief Sendelbach and the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority have jointly negotiated a separation agreement. Here is the link to the Reporter-Herald article: https://edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?guid=30b34240-aaa1-4c7e-93d7-d19197f55a80&v=sdk&appcode=REP439&eguid=67d3e6ab-75e4-4e48-87b0-9bd34dcdad75&pnum=1# If this link does not work and you would lik

Updated 4-15-26 Wildfire mitigation is crucial for our community. Creating and maintaining "defensible space" around structures is the single most effective action we can take to protect our properties. The Loveland Fire Rescue Authority (LFRA) is now providing us with a new way to get slash out of our community. The Community Slash Bin Program When you thin out dense vegetation, remove dead trees, or clear brush from your property, you are left with a large amount of materia

From Rocky Mountain PBS: Homeowners in Colorado face difficult decisions when it comes to insuring their home. With increasing fires and more intensive hail, Rocky Mountain PBS and Colorado Public Radio look into the looming crisis — and what the state government is doing to address it. Click here to watch the 26-minute video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=50g8k7FaLOE&t=48s Here is an AI summary of the video: This video, titled "Undercovered: Colorad

Back on August 26, several neighborhoods voted to be added in the LFRA Inclusion zone, to provide additional financial support, through taxes, to our local fire departments. A condition of that approval was that we would not be subject to taxing until 2026. However, many astute neighbors noticed that their 2025 tax bill were revised to include the assessment for the previous tax year. Below is a statement from the LRFPD ensuring that this error will be corrected: “… the prope

Every Thursday evening at 7:00 PM MST , our community gathers on the airwaves for our GMRS community net . This weekly forum is a vital space for neighbors to test their equipment, practice radio etiquette, and stay informed through local announcements. In our session this evening, we had 11 check-ins . It was great to hear everyone’s voices as we worked through several critical safety updates for our area. 📢 Key Announcements & Exercises 1. 2026 Evacuation Drill We spent t

This page will be updated as quickly as possible: December 19, 2025 @ unknown - PVREA fixed down line. December 19, 2025 @ 10:42AM MST - Line down from tree at 18E & Skinner Gulch, 1 home impacted, PVREA enroute. December 19, 2025 @ 10:00AM MST - Debris reported on 18E from winds. December 19, 2025 @ 8:00AM MST - Informal GMRS Emergency Net started. D ecember 19, 2025 @ 7:30AM MST - Email sent to neighbors. December 19, 2025 @ 2:17AM MST - High Wind Warning Issued by NWS Denv

November 17, 2025: Loveland Fire Rescue Authority (LFRA) Fire Chief Tim Sendelbach recently addressed over 50 members of the Pole Hill and Pinewood Lake communities at a Town Hall, formally welcoming residents to the LFRA Extended Service Area . The presentation detailed the critical reasons behind the expansion, the services residents can expect, and the potential impact on safety and insurance. For a copy of the Power Point Presentation click here . The Critical "Why" Behin

The following news release is from the US Forest Service. FORT COLLINS, Colo. (Nov. 14, 2025) – Fire managers on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests are preparing for pile burning season this winter. Current and forecasted weather conditions may create favorable pile burning conditions over the next several months. Pile burning is a type of prescribed fire that helps remove woody debris from the forests, reducing the potential of more impactful, unplanned fire activ

A new report from Colorado State University (CSU) confirms what many homeowners already fear: the cost of insuring a home in the Centennial State is soaring, fueled primarily by the increasing threat of wildfires . According to the analysis by CSU’s Regional Economic Development Institute (REDI) , Colorado is now ranked as the sixth-costliest state in the nation for homeowners’ insurance. The steep increase is hitting wallets hard, especially in areas susceptible to fire dan

Larimer County recently hosted a public engagement workshop via webinar on October 9th , providing insight into the ongoing update of the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. If you missed the virtual meeting, here are the key takeaways on why this structured planning process is vital for building a more prepared and resilient community. What is Hazard Mitigation and Why Costs Are Rising At its core, Hazard Mitigation is defined as sustained action taken to reduce or

It was 6:41 PM, September 2nd. Angie and I were just about ready to sit down for dinner, when a random photo of mountains shows up on my phone. Looking closer I could see a plume of smoke. I reply, “Where is that?” The response sent chills. Stone Mountain Fire - 6:41PM “Coming home just now, at the end of Pinewood dam, looking NorthWest.” It was just over a year ago, July 18, 2024, several neighborhood Hams, led by Eric R. and Dennis B., installed a GMRS Repeater just North o

Hi, Neighbors! As the "Bear Aware" contact for Pinewood, I wanted to pass on this information from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPE) about our bear neighbors' habits as the nights get cooler and Fall approaches. Check out the amount of calories those bears will be packing on to make it through the winter (in bold blue text )! I've added some tips I've learned below the information from the CPW, and would love to hear any suggestions you might have! Please reply to me -- I

The Pinewood Lake Wildfire Action Group (PLWAG) extends a heartfelt thank you to Eric Weedin and Roxane Chagolla from the Weedin Agency in Loveland, for their time and expertise. On August 19th, they met with over 60 neighbors at Belinda's barn, providing a highly informative presentation on the current state of insurance in Colorado. Their clear and detailed answers to numerous questions from community members were invaluable, shedding light on a complex and pressing issu

GMRS Repeater & Antenna Installation July 18, 2024 On July 18, 2024 , the Pinewood Lake community took a significant step toward enhancing our emergency preparedness. With invaluable assistance from several neighborhood HAM radio operators, we successfully installed a GMRS repeater right here in our neighborhood. GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) is a licensed radio service in the US, offering more power and range than typical FRS radios, making it ideal for robust communi