Federal forest rangers extinguished more then 30 abandoned and unattended campfires last weekend in areas surrounding Pueblo.
With wildfire season approaching, the U.S. Forest Service said nearly half of the wildfires over the past decade in the Pike and San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands in southern Colorado have been caused by careless human acts. The Forest Service said that figure is well above the average for the western states.
“It is so important now, more than ever, for the public to understand the importance of such a simple task of extinguishing their campfire,” said Ralph Bellah, fire prevention officer for the Pueblo Interagency Dispatch Center, whose patrols found the campfires. “Simply because there is green vegetation out there doesn’t mean we are immune to wildfires.”
The Forest Service urges campers to ensure campfires are cold to the touch before leaving them. Allowing them to burn out naturally allows for embers to be emitted for several hours outside the fire ring.
