Gov. Bill Ritter warned Friday that Colorado faces a higher- than-normal risk of wildfires and forest fires this season.
At his annual briefing at Centennial Airport, flanked by Army helicopters and state firefighting aircraft, Ritter said the risk of grass fires in lower elevations east of the mountains is particularly great because of the amount of dried and dead grass from the last growing season, which was particularly wet.
He said also forests in higher elevations are at risk because of the extensive beetle kill, which has left thousands of acres of dead trees standing.
“The long-term forecast for the state is drier than normal through July,” he noted. “I urge everyone in the state to be careful about the risk of forest fires.”
Ritter said the state is well-prepared for fires. The Colorado National Guard has pledged helicopters. There also are three single-engine tankers available and 10 firetrucks.
Also, the state has trained about 60 inmates from three different prisons to work as fire-jumpers, a program that has worked well in the past. The state has used more than 300 inmates in fighting fires. Ritter said the three prisons, which he didn’t name, are scattered across the state, enabling at least one team of inmates to reach a fire anywhere in the state within two hours.
State forester Jeff Jahnke said that the three major fires so far this year, which claimed three lives and 24 houses, were caused by humans. The Ordway fire, which devastated and nearly destroyed the farming town, flared from embers that were thought to have been put out the day before.
“Whether it’s a ditch burn or a campfire, fires need to be out cold so that embers don’t rekindle with the next big wind,” Ritter said.
Last year, 26,535 acres burned in Colorado, only a fifth of the 10-year historical average. However, already this year a total of 8,900 acres have burned.
Rich Cables, the regional forester for the U.S. Forest Service, said the federal government has pledged $25 million to Colorado to fight fires and another $35 million toward making the forests healthier and not able to burn as hot. This includes trimming and pruning, and controlled burns to eliminate fuels.
Mike McPhee: 303-954-1409 or mmcphee@denverpost.com
