District Chief Paul Duarte’s team, the first to reach the Pine Gulch fire as it began spreading across western Colorado about three weeks ago, put months of planning to the test as they prepared to battle their first major wildfire under pandemic conditions.

First, they were screened for COVID-19 symptoms as the blaze, now the second-largest in state history, ripped through the rough terrain near Grand Junction. 

Instead of assembling in a “circus tent,” crews checked in online and received briefings over the radio. Each unit camped together in the field, rather than hundreds of responders establishing a shared base camp. Meals were delivered to each “spike camp,” replacing large communal gatherings.

“The biggest change in the process has really been about the things that attract big groups of people — getting food, supplies, camps and briefings,” said Duarte, an operations section chief with the Colorado Department of Public Safety.

So far, leaders battling blazes across the West say they’re holding their own, despite the pandemic. Some adjustments to COVID-19 are proving more effective than previous tactics. But as more fires erupt in California and elsewhere, responders are bracing for a long battle that will force them to revamp time-tested strategies on the fly.

“We’re building the bridge as we cross it,” said George Geissler, Washington state forester and deputy supervisor for wildfire.

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