VAIL—Above-average snowpack in the mountains doesn’t necessarily translate into low wildfire danger, especially if forecasts for a warmer-than-normal spring and early summer hold true.
Wildfire experts say the problem is the winter was short, which means the trees and plants absorbed less moisture than if the snow cover had been around longer.
“Everybody’s saying we’re going to have a higher fire season than we’ve had in years,” said Capt. Shaun Moore, wildland fire specialist for the Greater Eagle Fire Protection District.
A dry November had ski resorts and water managers worried. A series of storms then left parts of Colorado with the largest snowpack in more than a decade.
Because the snow arrived later, the trees, oak brush and grass haven’t had time to absorb enough moisture, Moore said. Longer winters, even when the snowpack is smaller, decrease fire danger because the vegetation draws in more moisture.
Moore pointed to the wildfire that burned 1 and 1/2 square miles near Carbondale last week.
“Due to the high winds we had and the low moisture, it was able to jump and keep going,” Moore said.
He said the lack of moisture was also evident last week when area firefighters burned several piles of trees cut down last year.
“This time of year, those piles should not have burned as hot as they did,” Moore said.
Officials fear that fires might burn more intensely this year. The snows have helped the grass grow taller, which could make it easier for flames to leap to trees when the grass dries out.
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Information from: Vail Daily,
