The town of Breckenridge, Colorado, is well known for skiing in the winter and hiking, fly-fishing, mountain biking and white water rafting in the summer months. It’s also known for its Festival of Film held every September, and in January it hosts the Backcountry Film Festival. That’s about the time each year when it launches the Ullr Fest, a week of celebrating snow and honoring the Norse god Ullr.

This small town of under 5,000 year-round residents takes full advantage of its gorgeous surroundings at the base of the Tenmile Range and alongside the Blue River. Thus we were a bit excited this past year when we learned there would be a Fire Arts Festival held on the Breckenridge Arts District campus as part of Breckenridge Creative Arts. It ran from January 26 to 29, 2017.

Fire, as you well know, is an integral part of the hearth industry, as well as the barbecue industry, and now even the patio furniture industry with its fire pits and fire tables. At the pinnacle of fire sculptures there is Elena Colombo, of whom we’ve written many times over the past decade or two.

Look below and you’ll see Shane Shane’s Biodiversity Fire Sphere, constructed from a 500-gallon propane tank from the 1950s. It was first exhibited at the Burning Man Festival in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, and later at the Breckenridge Fire Arts Festival. “The ecosystem is important to every creature,” says Shane. “Each part is represented in this piece.” The sculpture was hand-cut by the artist and includes dolphins, elephants, rhinos, an owl, a wolf and various sea creatures.

The other four images are of sculptures exhibited at the Fire Arts Festival this past January. Unfortunately, that event was discontinued.

'Arcus Hymenoptera' by artists Joshua Birkmaier and Caitlin Morris; photo credit unknown.

'Burning Love' by artist Keith D'Angelo; Photo by Carl Scofield, courtesy Breckenridge Creative Arts.

Breckenridge Creative Arts, 150 West Adams Avenue, Post Office Box 4269, Breckenridge, CO 80424, Phone: (970) 453 3187, www.breckcreate.org.