Stone Mountain Fire
- pinewoodlakewag
- Sep 12
- 3 min read
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.
“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 of Pinewood Reservoir. In an area where cell phone coverage is non-existent and wildfire risk high, it gave our mountain community reliable communications. Click Here to read about our GMRS Radio Repeater 1-year anniversary.
I reached for my GMRS radio and put a call out to the neighborhood.
“This is WRZY838, I have a text message showing smoke north of Pinewood Dam. Can anyone confirm?”
Within minutes, Lisa WSDP704, who lives next to Pinewood reservoir replied.
“I just walked outside and can confirm smoke.”
Next, I called 911 and was able to send the photo I received, along with a screenshot of my estimation of the fire's location on Google Maps. She confirmed that there were other reports received.
The fire, now called the Stone Mountain Fire, was reported on Watch Duty as .25 acres.
It was quickly becoming clear that firetrucks wouldn't be able to drive up to the fire; it would require a crew to hike in with hand tools and sunset was coming.
While no official Net was created, over the next few hours, neighbors from all over used their GMRS radios to provide essential reports on the fire. Several neighbors deployed to help first responders navigate our mountain community. There was constant communication, callsigns, locations, status, and emergency traffic was clearly communicated. As long-time Ham Radio operators, we were all very impressed with how well our neighborhood used these radios to communicate!
It was determined that the best way to approach the fire would be from a neighbors property north west of the fire. A small crew, led by a few neighbors who knew the mountain, hiked in by 9:30 PM, with just hand tools and put out the fire.
Luckily, this is the fire many may never have hear about. A huge thank you to all the first responders who came up, in force, to ensure this fire did not get out of control.
As a neighborhood, we recognize the risk of living in the mountains. With the new capability of the GMRS repeater and over 30 neighbors learning how to use their radios, we have an amazing tool to quickly communicate.
This fire is a powerful reminder that in remote, high-risk areas, a simple and reliable communication system can be the difference between a minor incident and a major tragedy.
Pete Robbins
W0RCR WRZY838
As a neighborhood community we want to send a bunch of Thank You's!
First, thank you to all the First Responders.
Loveland Fire Rescue Authority
Larimer County Sheriff's Office
Larimer County Rangers
Thank you to all our neighbors who deployed and communicated via the GMRS radios.
Thank you to the neighbors who let first responders on their property to approach the fire and for providing breakfast for them all in the morning.
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