Recent wet weather has dampened the risk of fire and state officials expect a normal fire season throughout most of the state, Gov. Bill Ritter said today.
Northwest Colorado, where a dry summer is expected, faces the greatest danger, Ritter said in his annual pre-season wildfire briefing.
Four wildfires torched 3,583 acres in 2009, costing $750,000, destroying four structures and threatening an additional 72 structures. However, the fire season was less active than others over the last 10 years. That allowed the state to spend less of the money budgeted for fire. Those savings left the state in good shape to fund future fire-fighting efforts, Ritter said.
He called on residents of fire-prone areas to clear their land of timber that could spread a blaze and take other actions to make their property safer.
Campers and others who spend time in the state’s forests must also be careful. “Everybody in the state has a personal responsibility,” Ritter said.
“The 2010 fire season outlook is better than we have seen in recent years ….. but we cannot let our guard down,” he said. “We need to continue working across all levels of government with local homeowners, businesses and communities, to prevent a catastrophic wildfire and be fully prepared in case there is one.”
Ritter also said $40 million committed by the U.S. Forest Service for the removal of beetle kill and other trees in the Rocky Mountain West will help reduce the fire risk. Colorado will receive about $30 million of the money.
The pine beetle has savaged trees on about 3 million acres of Colorado land and there are large stands of dead trees and dry needles that fuel fire risk, Ritter said. The infested trees are on land owned by the state, the National Forest Service and in private hands.
“We need to look at that 3 million acres and decide what is the best way to deal with it,” Ritter said.
One solution is to turn the dead wood into renewable energy, he said.
Though some communities have plans in place to lessen their vulnerability to fire, many are still working to design plans. And even those that have plans need money to initiate them , said Jeff Jahnke, state forester.
“A plan is just shelf art until you have the money,” Jahnke said.
The state has resources that include contracts for three air tankers, 10 fire engines in areas around the state (four of them continuously manned), crews of inmates from Buena Vista, Rifle and Cañon City as well as access to local first responders and if needed, National Guard choppers and personnel, Jahnke said.
“They are available, we just need to ask for them,” he said.
Tom McGhee: (303)954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
