The Pagosa Fire Protection District is a combination volunteer/paid department that provides fire and rescue services to 362 square miles of Archuleta County in southwestern Colorado. The area includes mountainous and rugged backcountry terrain with the north and east boundaries of the district being the high mountains of the Continental Divide. There are ski and golf resorts, a river popular with whitewater enthusiasts, agricultural land, abundant wildlife and a concentrated population center in Pagosa Springs. The district serves approximately 12,000 full time residents with the population increasing to 30,000 with seasonal visitors.

The District responded to 337 incidents in 2007 ranging from structure fires to animal rescues. The department has six (6) paid career firefighters and sixty-eight (68) volunteers with a long history of dedication to the fire service.