Colorado Springs Fire Department Mourns Loss of Wildland-Urban Interface Leader

Christina Randall in 2013.
Credit Andrea Chalfin / 91.5 KRCC
Christina Randall in 2013.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department is mourning the loss of Christina Randall, who led the department's wildfire mitigation efforts.  Randall died unexpectedly over the weekend while attending a conference in Reno, Nev.  focusing on the wildland-urban interface, which is where forests meet urban areas. 

Randall spent the last 14 years overseeing the program at the fire department, which includes risk assessment, community outreach and fuels management.  She was also a member of national committees that looked at wildland-urban interface fire policies.

"Christina Randall was a loved member of our department, and someone known across the country for her expertise in Wildland firefighting and mitigation," said Fire Chief Ted Collas in a written statement.  "Our department joins her family and so many across the nation who will grieve her loss."

In 2013, Randall spoke with 91.5 KRCC about Colorado Springs' Wildland Urban Interface, or WUI, where, at the time, nearly a quarter of the city's population lived.  Recently, she gave an interview to Fire Chief Digital magazine to share knowledge about WUI fires with others to help reduce the risk and severity of such incidents, drawing on her experiences, including 2012's Waldo Canyon Fire.