Delivery Driver Santiago Macias Recognized for His Heroism

Chief Benson presenting Santiago with a recognition plaque

Santiago and Chief Benson with the crew that put out the fire, Jon Berdahl, Tim Farrell, and Eric May

Santiago Macias was recently recognized by Boulder Mountain Fire Protection District (BMFPD) for his quick thinking and decisive action when a fire threatened Boulder Heights on December 30, 2021. 

A driver for a local business providing contract transportation services for FedEx Ground, Macias was making deliveries in the Boulder Heights neighborhood that day when he spotted a flaming generator in the area of Peakview Road and Antler Drive. Macias quickly tracked down a BMFPD fire engine that was patrolling the area to alert the crew about the fire and guide them to its location. 

Luckily, the volunteer firefighters—Tim Farrell, Eric May, and Jon Berdahl—were able to extinguish the flames before they took off in the 60-plus mile-per-hour winds that were whipping Boulder County—the same winds that caused the death and devastation wrought by the nearby Marshall Fire. 

BMFPD Chief John Benson presented Macias with a recognition plaque and gift card on March 8, 2022, at a local FedEx Ground facility. “If it hadn’t been for you flagging our team down, we had the potential to lose at least 500 homes, and many lives as well,” Chief Benson said to Macias. “We greatly appreciate what you did, and the Boulder Heights residents are very grateful to you.”

“Thank you all,” Macias said. “I thought about it over and over again, and it definitely could have gotten way worse than it was.” Indeed, as Chief Benson explained, the 911 dispatchers were so busy with the Marshall Fire that calls weren’t getting through, so Macias’ heroism prevented another potential catastrophe.