COSTILLA COUNTY — Sangre de Cristo Ranch Owners (SCRO) in partnership with Gary Pettigrew, a volunteer firefighter with the Costilla County Fire Protection District Board, would like to remind the public, “we are in a “SEVERE DROUGHT,” as described by the National Weather Service Map which has led to a fire ban. A local fire ban is enacted by the fire marshal, which in this case is the Costilla County sheriff. Information on the fire ban can be found at the Costilla County Homepage at https://www.colorado.gov/costillacounty

Pettigrew informed the SCRO board, “We must consider how rural our area is and that response times by the fire department aren’t what they are in a suburban or city setting. Our fire services are all volunteer and just in the time it may take for the fire department to roll out the door a wildfire can reach devastating levels.”

The SCRO would like to reinforce any and all steps folks can take regarding fire mitigation actions around their units and houses for their safety and that of fellow neighbors.

SCRO is strictly enforcing the long-standing covenants which can be found at http://www.sdcro.net/home.html. Failure to implement and follow these will be brought to the attention of the appropriate Costilla County officials via the filing of complaint forms. To become a SCRO member please visit the web-site for more information or call Gwen Henzi at 379-3743.