Colorado Wildfire Season

[Hannah.Taylor]

As a new resident to Colorado, something I've never experienced before is occurring. It's wildfire season. Checked with Skip Talbot before making this post, to make sure it went to the right area.

Yesterday, 3 wildfires broke out across the state. Most of the Front Range was in a Red Flag warning risk.

Rocky Mountain National Park on the west side near Grand Lake. Fire started by lightning, 2-3 acres primarily, erupted to 300-400 acres thanks to 20-40 mph winds, low humidity and soaring 100* temps.

Rocky Mountain National Park issued this statement last night.

[h=5]June 11, 2013 (Evening Update)
For Immediate Release
Kyle Patterson 970-586-1363

Lightning Caused Big Meadows Fire Increases In Size
No Structures Or Communities At Risk

This afternoon, due to high winds, low humidity and a large amount of beetle killed trees the Big Meadows Fire grew from 2 to 3 acres this morning to an estimated 300 to 400 acres through the day. A recon flight this afternoon showed the fire moving to the northeast toward Nakai Peak.

This morning an interagency crew consisting of Rocky Mountain National Park and US Forest Service firefighters were flown to the Big Meadows Fire located on the north end of Big Meadows on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. The location is roughly 4.5 miles from the Green Mountain Trailhead in a relatively remote section of Rocky Mountain National Park west of the Continental Divide. Around 1:00 p.m. firefighters experienced extremely gusty winds that both deterred deploying smokejumpers and increased the fire’s growth. No structures or communities are threatened.

A Boise Smokejumper Type III Team has taken over management of the fire. A Type II team is on order and is expected to transition Thursday morning. Fire managers have ordered additional air and ground resources including three additional helicopters and five additional Type I crews. The Craig Hotshot Type I crew arrived this afternoon. The weather forecast is for more warm, dry and windy conditions tomorrow and the fire is expected to be active. The area contains a large amount of beetle killed trees; firefighter and visitor safety will continue to be paramount.

Currently there are five trails temporarily closed in the area - the Onahu Trail, the Green Mountain Trail, the lower Tonahutu Trail, the Tonahutu Spur Trail and the Grand Lake Lodge Spur Trail. All major roads in Rocky Mountain National Park are open.
The park has set up a recorded Fire Information Line at (970) 586-1381 which will be updated when new information on the Big Meadows Fire is available.

For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park please call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206.

[/h]
Royal Gorge Canyon Fire - 3,800 acres burned so far, no containment, high winds, hot temps and low humidity. No idea yet how it started. Few buildings damaged. Royal Gorge bridge and park in danger, have been evacuated.

http://kdvr.com/2013/06/12/royal-gorge-fire-now-at-3800-acres-3-structures-destroyed/

Black Forest fire - 100 homes totally destroyed, and burned over 8,000 acres in a day.

http://kdvr.com/2013/06/11/black-forest-fire-burning-in-el-paso-county/



Aside from careless campers with camp fires, cigarette smokers flipping their cigarette butts out the window or into the grass and lightning...what are some other ways these fires start without human contribution? i.e. naturally?

 

[Dave C]

I think you have stated all of the probable causes. I suppose a piece of metal/glass left in the woods or grass could (on a long shot) spark a fire by reflection - I wouldn't classify that as natural. Heavy equipment has also been known to trigger fires, or wind blowing branches into power lines. There was speculation that some of last years fires were intentionally started by an arsonist. I have no idea if anything ever came of those investigations.

This fire season is looking eerily similar to last year - where we had over two months of 90 degrees plus temps with little moisture, all starting in early June.

Yesterday, I could see pyrocumulous clouds both to the north and south from my workplace. Makes breathing a challenge as well. I'll hope for moisture to return. Better for the fires, and better for thunderstorms.

 

[Hannah.Taylor]

I didn't think they could just start by spontaneous combustion, but I wasn't quite sure and was doing my best not to sound ignorant. I recall only one wildfire from my previous visits/vacations here as a kid, and that was the fire up near Roosevelt National Forest or Rocky Mountain National in 1989...I think it was caught between the two parks. I remember riding from Kansas City to Denver with my Aunt and Uncle and two cousins and as soon as the mountains came into view near Kiowa, we could see the smoke from the fires billowing up into the sky and that's still a good 75+ miles from the foothills of the Front Range.

 

[Matt Ashworth]

You pretty much covered all the common/possible ways these fires could start. Last year's wildfire season was nuts and already we're off to a hot and heavy start. Already several of my friends have had to evacuate from the Black Forest area because of the fire, with one of them possibly losing their home to the flames. It's upsetting, but an unfortunately normal part of Colorado's annual cycle. Last year I actually saw the High Park fire some 30-35 miles to the south right after it flared up. Thought it was a storm cloud at first until I noticed the plume was originating from between mountains and not behind/above them. Longmont, my current city of residence, has had a few close calls over the years...back in 2003/2004 (don't remember which) there was a fire just outside of Jamestown that blanketed the city in smoke for days, then more recently (2007/2008?) the foothills immediately west of town were on fire...cool to see after the sun went down, but a scary reminder that nowhere in Colorado is 'safe' from these blazes.

I hope that this year everyone can stay away from and escape these fires. I'd hate to hear of more people getting stuck in the flames.