Fort Lewis College responding to 416 Fire

Fort Lewis College (FLC) has an existing agreement with the City of Durango and the Red Cross to act as an emergency shelter for the area, if needed. Campus is part of a system of shelters that are activated as the need arises. At this point, FLC has not been activated as an emergency shelter, but campus is ready and willing to respond should the Red Cross or the 416 Fire Incident Command make that request.

In the meantime, FLC is already working with organizations that have been displaced by the 416 Fire. In this area, the College is uniquely suited to accommodate bigger groups that are looking to house a larger number of people, such as the U.S. Forest Service and the first responders who are battling the fire. The College is also working with the firefighting helitack crew stationed at the Old Fort Lewis campus.

To try to help individuals and families who face hardship, Fort Lewis College created a 416 Fire Services category within its Classifieds system on theFort (https://thefort.fortlewis.edu). This is a place for people to offer help to those impacted by the fire, such as a room or a meal. 

To access the 416 Fire Services, visit theFort and search for “Classifieds.” Anyone can view the Classifieds, regardless of whether they have a FLC username and password or not. A person must have a FLC username and password to post an ad. At this time, the College is not accepting postings from those without a FLC username and password.

As the needs of the community grow, Fort Lewis College will continue to look for ways to offer assistance. Thank you to all of the individuals and organizations who are both fighting the fire and assisting the people affected.