On September 7, 2011 the Wilderness Ranch Land Owners Association purchased Lot 250 for the purpose of fire protection within the subdivision. This lot was selected because of its location and the availability of water for use in fighting fires. Grants and funds are available for the installation and construction of a dry hydrant to be used to fill fire fighting equipment in the event of a fire. The Association will work closely with the BLM, US Forest Service, Colorado Forest Service and Moffat County to update the Fire Protection Plan (FPP) over the next several months. Once the FPP is finalized recomendations will be made to the Association on how large a hydrant and the style of hydrant that will be needed. At that point the Association will apply for funds and grants to help realize that goal.
Some land owners may remember that there were two other dry hydrants established in the past, both of which are on private land. Hopefully they will always be available to be used if needed but there is absolutely no guarantee of that. Also it is not known if any maintenance has ever been performed on them or if they are actually in working condition any more. By having a hydrant owned by the Association it can be assured it will be available and in working condition.
There has been some concern expressed by nearby land owners as to whether the new facility will conform to the requirments of the covenants, and as to how much it may interfere with the privacy of the adjacent land owners. The Board of Directors is charged with enforcement of the covenants so will be extemely cautious when working on the design of the facility to ensure that it absolutely conforms to the covenants. The only time there would be any increased traffic to the facility would be in the event of a fire and hopefully, any interference with anyone’s privacy would be understood for what it is – simply an effort to protect everyone’s property from catastrophe.
As the process progresses postings will be placed here to keep land owners informed.