The Marshall fire last year was the most recent warning about the importance of keeping our properties clean. Nine of the top twenty largest wildfires in Colorado have occurred in the last four years. Many of our residents remember the 528 acres in the Peak to Peak area that was burned by the Cold Springs Fire in July of 2016. This summer keeping our area safe of fire hazards is more crucial than ever to avoid any disasters.

That is why the services provided by Axe & Snax, a local nonprofit, are vital to the community. Throughout the summer months, their volunteers offer residential fire mitigation in Gilpin County to families that cannot afford to hire a local company or properly manage themselves. They then give away the firewood acquired to those in need during winter months

Axe & Snax was founded in 2020 by the “Gilpin Girls,” a group of three residents of Gilpin County who are passionate about the place they call home and their community. The group’s mission is to engage volunteers to promote, organize and conduct neighborhood wildfire mitigation and provide firewood to residents in need. They work hard to get volunteers every year to keep the mountain areas safe, while uplifting the community.

The current board director, Daniel Jones, is a long-time resident of the area and is focusing his efforts in his first year as director to create a more efficient application process for their services.

If you would like fire mitigation assistance once summer comes around, you must submit a request by email (axeandsnacks@gmail.com) or through their Facebook page Gilpin Axe & Snax by May 15, 2022, and for timely distribution of firewood, requests have to be submitted by July 31.

Local groups bring people together and create a sense of responsibility to one another. By giving back to neighbors in need, we create an overall stronger community. If you would like to volunteer with Axe & Snax, either by providing manpower to clean up the area or with tools and transportation for wood haul, contact Julia Shaw at (303) 642- 0242 or on their social media.

Although Axe & Snax deliver essential assistance to the area, they cannot keep Gilpin county safe on their own. Each resident is responsible for taking accountability for their own surroundings and to protect their neighborhoods from disasters. If you would like to know more on how to keep your own piece of forest and neighborhood protected this season, Gilpin County and Timberline Fire Department are fantastic resources.

Axe & Snax can be reached at (303) 642-0242, by email at axeandsnacks@gmail.com or check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ groups/1454744378064871.