Mountain Village to host Fire and Ice: community wildfire education ice cream social & movie screening Sunday, June 9
The Town of Mountain Village Police Department, San Miguel County Office of Emergency Management and Telluride Fire Protection District present Fire and Ice, an afternoon of wildfire education in Mountain Village on Sunday, June 9.
The event will feature free ice cream and table information from regional partners from 4 to 6 p.m. Then, at 6 p.m., a screening of “Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire” will be held at the Telluride Conference Center followed by a Q&A from regional officials.
Wildfire danger is at the forefront of our regional agencies' and residents’ minds as the area enters another summer season, and this event is an opportunity to learn about different aspects of wildfire preparedness, safety and prevention.
In addition to the more serious topic of wildfire, the event will also feature free ice cream, live music from Sean Wilson and the Tell Tale Signs and a fire truck and police squad car for kids to explore.
The following agencies will be set up to provide residents information in Heritage Plaza: Mountain Village Forestry Department, Telluride Fire Protection District, San Miguel Sheriff’s Office and Office of Emergency Management, the Norwood Ranger District of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest.
Topics will include fire mitigation around the home (defensible space and cedar shake roof replacement), preparing your household for potential evacuation, signing up for emergency notifications, preventing wildfire while recreating and more.
“It is a personal responsibility to take mitigation action to protect your property,” said TFPD District Chief John Bennett. “This helps firefighters with access and personnel safety. Research continues to demonstrate that property survival rates are much higher than untreated properties.”
The event and movie screening are free and open to the public and residents, second homeowners and visitors are encouraged to attend.
“Whether you live in Mountain Village or not, we want to provide the community with a wildfire education opportunity while also making it engaging and hopefully fun since the threat of wildfire is a heavy topic,” said Mountain Village Public Information Officer Kathrine Warren.
“Participants who visit all of our booths during the event will be entered to win our raffle with some great prizes thanks to the generosity of the Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association, The Himmel Spa at the Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz Klammer Lodge, Sheridan Arts Foundation and more local businesses,” Warren added.
After the ice cream social, head to the Telluride Conference Center to watch the film Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire. This 84-minute documentary takes viewers on a journey with the nation's top experts to better understand fire.
The film examines some of the worst wildfires in recorded history and includes the voices of climate experts, Indigenous people and fire survivors to ask us to reimagine our relationship with wildfire as we prepare for an increasingly hotter future.