Help Equip the Tie Siding Volunteer Fire Department with a Wildland Fire UTV

My name is Mike Douglas, and I am one of the volunteer firefighters with the Tie Siding Volunteer Fire Department (TSVFD). I am raising funds on behalf of the Friends of the Tie Siding Volunteer Fire Department, our nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, to purchase one of the most needed pieces of firefighting equipment our department currently lacks, a 4x4 Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV), such as a Polaris Ranger, equipped for wildland fire response.

Every summer, the forests and grasslands of southern Wyoming and northern Colorado face an increasing threat from wildfires. Our volunteers stand ready to respond at any hour of the day or night, often leaving our jobs, our families, and our own responsibilities to protect lives, homes, livestock, forests, and our community.

Unfortunately, we currently do not own a UTV.

That means when rugged terrain prevents our fire engines from reaching the fire, we have had to rely on the personal vehicles and equipment of our volunteer firefighters. While our volunteers have generously stepped up time and time again, this is not a sustainable solution. It places the financial burden, maintenance costs, liability, and wear-and-tear on individual volunteers instead of the department that serves our community.

The need became unmistakably clear on July 21, 2026.

A lightning strike ignited a wildfire adjacent to Camp Batel (Batel Ranch), a youth summer camp and retreat facility. It serves young women ages 11 to 19 from northern Colorado, southern Wyoming, and western Nebraska. The fire also threatened dozens of nearby homes and a neighboring horse ranch.

Over the next five days, approximately 70 firefighters and additional resources from multiple Wyoming and surrounding state agencies worked tirelessly to contain the blaze. The Tie Siding Volunteer Fire Department was proud to be among those answering the call, serving as Incident Command Post of this fire.

During that incident, one of our volunteer firefighters brought his own personal 4x4 UTV to the fire. It quickly became one of the most valuable tools on the incident, transporting firefighters, hoses, chainsaws, fuel, water, and other critical equipment through steep, rocky terrain that fire engines simply could not access.

Without that UTV, firefighters would have been forced to hike long distances carrying heavy equipment, slowing suppression efforts during a fast-moving wildfire.

That experience confirmed what we've known for years:

Our department needs a dedicated wildland UTV.

A properly equipped fire support UTV would allow us to:

* Reach fires faster in rugged backcountry and forested terrain.

* Transport firefighters and lifesaving equipment safely.

* Carry pumps, hose, medical gear, chainsaws, fuel, and water to remote locations.

* Support structure protection during rapidly evolving wildfires.

* Respond more effectively not only within our district, but also when providing mutual aid throughout southern Wyoming and northern Colorado.

Every dollar donated goes directly to the Friends of the Tie Siding Volunteer Fire Department, our 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Once purchased and outfitted, the UTV will be donated to the Tie Siding Volunteer Fire Department for use in protecting the communities we proudly serve.

Whether your gift is $50, $100, $500, $1000 or more, every contribution brings us closer to placing this critical piece of equipment into service. Together, we can better protect families, homes, ranches, businesses, forests, and the firefighters who volunteer their time to serve.

On behalf of every member of the Tie Siding Volunteer Fire Department, thank you for believing in our mission and for supporting the volunteers who stand ready whenever the next emergency comes.

Your generosity will help save property, protect our forests, and, one day, may help save a life.