Pray for rain, seed the clouds, or do a rain dance, whichever you prefer.
The dry spell that has gripped much of Colorado this spring is providing ominous reminders of 2002, when wildfires raged across the state and homeowners had to nervously watch every drop of water that sprayed from their sprinklers.
This year’s dry weather, combined with June’s unusually scorching heat, is melting the snowpack quickly, drying out our forests, wilting crops and forcing some communities to revert to water restrictions.
The governor this week banned open fires and fireworks on all state lands, and cities and counties across the state also are cracking down on fireworks sales and their use.
And, believe it or not, Wednesday was only the first day of summer.
By some calculations it’s already drier than four years ago, when much of Colorado experienced its worst drought conditions in four centuries.
Colorado’s largest blazes that year, Hayman, Coal Seam and Missionary Ridge, were each bigger than any wildfire in the state’s recorded history. Hayman’s flames shot as high as 200 feet, and it ran a horrifying 19 miles in one day.
We hope the danger will lessen in the weeks ahead. Forecasters say some relief could be on the way.
July’s monsoons are predicted to be stronger than normal, meaning it should be much wetter than June, which was uncharacteristically dry and hot.
The rains could dampen Colorado’s ground conditions, but there’s always the danger of storms being accompanied by lightning that could spark wildland blazes. The massive Mato Vega fire burning near Fort Garland was sparked Sunday by lightning.
The rain likely will be too little, too late for many farmers and ranchers, some of whom are already selling off their cattle because of such poor grazing conditions.
“Historically, this could be as bad as the drought we faced in the 1950s,” state Agriculture Commissioner Don Ament said.
We can’t control nature, but it’s imperative for people to remember that many wildfires can be prevented by personal awareness and responsibility.
People who live or own property in the foothills should take fire mitigation steps if they haven’t already.
They should remove brush, deadwood and low branches near buildings and make sure driveways can accommodate fire trucks.
Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
