After years of work, Ouray County has refreshed its emergency readiness capabilities by updating three disaster mitigation plans and adopting an official evacuation plan, all in an effort to prepare the county for a host of threats, primarily, the eventuality of wildfire.

For the first time, the county has an official Multijurisdictional Evacuation Plan — shared between the city of Ouray, town of Ridgway and Ouray County — which establishes a countywide evacuation procedure and the responsibilities of government officials and the public. The county is holding two exercises to run through the plan in the next year: a tabletop meeting on Nov. 3, where officials will talk through procedures, and a full-scale exercise on May 15, 2026 where county residents can help simulate a real-time evacuation in a selected area of the county, with details yet to be announced.

The county also refreshed its Multijurisdictional Emergency Operations Plan, a countywide strategy for responding to large and small-scale incidents, its Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, a strategy for mitigating all types of hazards and its Community Wildfire Protection Plan, a “proactive blueprint for reducing wildfire risk and strengthening community preparedness.” County Emergency Manager Glenn Boyd said it’s important to have all types of plans to prepare for emergencies in a comprehensive way.

Multijurisdictional Evacuation Plan

This is the first official document establishing a procedure for evacuating a portion or the entirety of Ouray County, depending on the location and severity of an emergency such as a wildfire.

“An evacuation plan is not a new concept to really anyone that lives in fire country,” Boyd said. Many small counties are in the process of working on their evacuation plans, but do not yet have an official one in place, Boyd said.

The plan cost about $30,000 to develop — a bill split between the town of Ridgway, city of Ouray and the county. The plan establishes three phases: readying for evacuation, voluntary evacuation and mandatory evacuation.

The county emergency manager, sheriff or a representative designated by either official is authorized to activate the plan. Shelters for residents and animals and the responsibilities of government officials, other authorities and the public during an evacuation are outlined in the document, available online at ouraycountyco.gov.

Community Wildfire Protection Plan

The 2025 Community Wildfire Protection Plan update addresses the intensifying threat of wildfire due to climate change and drought since an original plan was adopted in 2011. The plan was funded by a $100,000 federal grant and cost around $70,000 for contractor JEO Consulting Group to complete.

The town of Ridgway, city of Ouray and the county split 10% of that cost. JEO collaborated with Ouray County government officials, county fire protection districts, federal and state agencies, community members and other groups during the process. Boyd said his department used remaining grant money for other wildfire-awareness related expenses such as public information materials.

The plan adheres to Community Wildfire Protection Plan guidelines adopted by the Colorado State Forest Service in 2022, meaning the county can access state and federal funding for mitigation projects. However, Boyd said most of that funding is not available at this time due to budget cuts.

The plan establishes a wildfire risk map, short and long-term target areas for completing fuel reduction projects, and recommendations to help reduce losses of structures and life and improve the wildfire response capabilities of fire protection districts.

Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan

This document outlines ways to prevent all types of emergency risks ranging from avalanches to mass casualty events. The update from an earlier 2019 version cost around $60,000 and 90% of its cost was funded by Federal Emergency Management Agency dollars funneled through the state, according to Boyd. Ridgway, Ouray and Ouray County governments split the remaining 10%. Boyd said the biggest update includes details on how to protect watersheds.

This is the fourth update of the plan originally created in 2008. Updating the plan also ensures the county’s eligibility for federal disaster assistance, most of which is not available at this time due to budget cuts. The document is currently under FEMA review.

Multijurisdictional Emergency Operations Plan

This 288-page document updated in December 2024 establishes an overarching multi-agency response framework for large and small scale emergencies, such as monsoonal flooding events last August and the recent rockfall on County Road 361. The plan needs to be tweaked every two years and overhauled every five years, according to Boyd, who completed the update.

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