Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department Celebrates 50th Anniversary

by Karen Salaz | Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department Mountain Festival

Mountain Festival to celebrate department’s golden milestone

Life before telephones meant people in the Rist Canyon-Stove Prairie area had to run to the nearest neighbor to call for help during wildfires. Later, a landline phone tree was organized to more quickly reach a greater number of people. Even this had inadequate capabilities because service availability limited the number of households with phones. Neighbors next began organizing to respond in emergency situations. Caches of firefighting tools were stored throughout the community, and fire wardens organized area residents to fight wildfires.

1975 ground breaking: unknown photographer. (Photo courtesy Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department)

By 1975, the Rist Canyon-Stove Prairie region had reached a critical juncture. A greater number of forest fires were annually occurring in the area (eight per year), more than in any other Larimer County region. Added to this was the fact that the fire potential was worsening because of the increasing population, residents, and visitors, and growing severity of pine bark-beetle infestations killing a significant percentage of trees, causing additional fire hazards.

Some 75 residents and landowners responded to an invitation from Ted Bania (an area resident and retired state forester) and Mark Horvat (state district forester) to form a volunteer fire department in April of 1975. If they established a department, the Colorado State Forest Service would provide an indefinite loan of a 1947 Army surplus 2½ ton, 1,000-gallon 6×6 pumper truck. By the conclusion of the meeting, those present were overwhelmingly in favor of forming the volunteer fire department.

In June 1975, the RCVFD became a 504 non-profit corporation dedicated to protecting a 38-square-mile area (more than 24,000 acres), northwest of Fort Collins. Organizers made the conscious effort to build an independent, donation-supported organization, thus making it more effective, efficient, and committed to its constituents rather than acting through a state-governed tax district. The organizing committee proposed that if initially each property owner, approximately 300 at the time, donated an average of $25-$30, then priority needs for the upcoming fire season could be met.

High Park Fire permitter as of Sun. morning June 10.

A significant amount of fire-fighting equipment was donated by the forest service, some by companies with interests in the area, and some purchased with federal matching funds. The RCVFD fleet was initially based on World War II vintage military trucks converted to fire trucks. In 1976, the department applied for federal matching-funds assistance to obtain a number of slip-on pumper units to be placed in the four-wheel-drive pickup trucks of active members. These were quick-reaction units, which were pre-positioned in various critical locations around the area during the height of fire season.

Poudre River watershed with Cameron Peak Fire burning in background.
Photo courtesy Battalion Chief D. Dority, Wellington Fire Protection District via Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed

In the 1980s, the RCVFD entered into a contract with the U.S. Forest Service to provide personnel and equipment in the event of fire on federal lands. In 1992, the department’s first full-certified Emergency Medical Technicians were able to respond to medical emergencies.

Five significant forest fires have been fought within the boundaries of the RCVFD. During these catastrophic fires, an untold number of volunteers provided support for the firefighters and emergency responders.

The Crystal Fire, April 3 – 6, 2011, a fire on Crystal Mountain burned 2,940 acres, destroying 15 homes. On June 9, 2012, a lightning strike fire in the Buckhorn Canyon became the wind-driven inferno known as the High Park Fire. High Park burned for nearly three weeks and eventually claimed 87,284 acres, destroyed 259 homes and countless other buildings, and tragically took one life. The High Park fire was at that time the third-largest fire in state history. It was one of the milestone events that triggered Colorado to invest in advanced fire technology. Colorado now leads the nation in this regard.

Aug. 13, 2020, the Cameron Peak Fire started in the Cameron Peak campground in the Poudre Canyon – 30 miles from RCVFD territory. Unfortunately, on October 13, high winds pushed the fire into the Buckhorn Canyon and Crystal Mountain area, destroying dozens of area homes. The fire continued to burn for months and was not officially contained until Dec. 2, 2020. This fire is the largest fire in Colorado history at 208,663 acres.

During the Cameron Peak Fire, a slurry bomber pilot headed to Fort Collins for refueling, noted a smoke plume in the Lewstone Creek drainage on the ridge at the eastern edge of Rist Canyon. The fire burned 165 acres from August 22-25, 2020.

Today, there are more than 1,400 landowners in the RCVFD coverage area. Currently, the RCVFD has three stations: Station No. 1 at 11835 Rist Canyon Road; Station No. 3, 17457 Rist Canyon Road; and Station No. 4, 109 Ridge Row Drive (Whale Rock area, rebuilt after the 2012 fire). Planning for an additional permanent station location in the Buckhorn Canyon area is ongoing.

The department is now staffed by approximately 30 volunteer, highly-trained emergency responders. The response region has grown from the original 38 square mile Rist Canyon-Stove Prairie area to approximately 110 square miles (more than 70,400 acres), now including the Buckhorn Canyon area. It also provides mutual aid to an additional 70 square miles. The department maintains a fleet of 12 mountain terrain response vehicles. Emergency personnel routinely respond to vehicle, motorcycle, and cyclist accidents; health emergencies; fires; and other types of emergency situations. Non-fire-related responses account for an average of 80 percent of the calls.

For 50 years, the foundation for RCVFD’s success has been dependent upon countless volunteer hours and generous financial support. It remains today a donation-based, non-tax funded entity, now a 501(c)3.

Early Festival Shuttle: Richard Lund (Photo courtesy Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department)

Come rain or shine, the 2025 Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department Mountain Festival will celebrate its 50th anniversary. This year’s musical entertainment, presented in partnership with the Bohemian Foundation, includes Choice City Trio, Liz Barnez, AKA (Also Known As), and Wendy Woo. The festival will feature special events, displays, and commemorative items to celebrate the department’s 50-year history. All proceeds benefit the department.

Festival overview: Karen Salaz (Photo courtesy Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department)

Mark the date Saturday, Sept. 6, for the annual RCVFD Mountain Festival, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 11835 Rist Canyon Road, Bellvue, CO. The festival will feature a gigantic used book sale, large silent auction, bake sale, plant sale, firefighter dunk tank, artisan vendors, food trucks, a large covered dining area in front of the music venue, a car show, and a commemorative merchandise booth. Where else can you get free admission, parking, tractor-pulled hayride shuttle to/from the parking area (handicapped parking available), musical entertainment, large kids’ activity area, farm animals, educational booths and demonstrations, and even free ice cream? This is a day for the entire family to enjoy. More information is available at https://festival.rcvfd.org/.

Additional historical information will be posted online in four installments during the next 12 months. This will be available at https://www.rcvfd.org/50-years. The four installments combined will be in this location in July 2026.

→ Read the full story: Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department Celebrates 50th Anniversary