Fire Crews In Colorado Struggle With Personnel Shortages

(CBS4) --It takes an army to fight blazes like the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak fires. They are just two of the many burning in Colorado. But it's even tougher when it comes at the end of the fire season.

"A lot of folks that normally fight on our fire crews are off to school, so our numbers have decreased, so there is a lot of stress of on our system," Jay Lusher, a duty officer with Rocky Mountain Coordination Center says.

Firefighters from around the state, including from Steamboat and Vail, have been coming to Grand County.

A Vail crew told CBS4's Rick Sallinger they were exhausted after fighting all night -- and now they were going back out again.

And there is an invisible factor added to the mix.

"2020 has been such an unprecedented year, not just the fire activity, but also the COVID pandemic," Terina Goicoechea, a spokesperson for the Rocky Mountain Area Command Team says.

Dozens of firefighters in Colorado have been taken off fire lines after testing positive for the coronavirus.

As for air power, 45 helicopters have been deployed in the state and sent to whichever fire is the top priority at the moment. There are 32 fixed wing aircraft, but winds have been making it difficult to operate.

Roughly 3,000 personnel from all over the country are in, or coming to, Colorado.

But is that even enough?

"We do have orders we are unable to fill," Lesher acknowledged.