Officials gear up for busy fire season

Warm weather, La Niña may spell trouble for state

Charley Able, Rocky Mountain News

Published April 9, 2007 at midnight

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Warm weather in late winter and early spring increased the risk of wildfire in Colorado, and if a developing La Niña event in the Pacific becomes intense, the summer fire season could be a difficult one for Colorado, forecasters said.

In 2006, 4,515 wildland fires broke out in Colorado, scorching more than 214,000 acres.

Fire officials and fire departments across the state are readying for the upcoming season, and the annual Colorado Mitigation and Wildfire Conference, Friday through Sunday in Pueblo, is expected to help fill in some of the blanks.

"I think evaluating where our resources are, knowing what we have, what we can draw upon, really helps us in our preparation," said Polly White, spokeswoman for Colorado's Division of Emergency Management.

"It's kind of a gut check for preparedness and changes in capacity since last year and the year before that."

The meeting will map the locations of prestationed resources, firefighters and equipment, both in Colorado and in nearby states, that could be marshaled to battle fires.

In Summit County, firefighters from three departments - Lake Dillon Fire Rescue, the Red, White and Blue Fire Protection District, and the Copper Mountain Fire Department - are in the midst of a month of intense training focusing on wildland firefighting strategies and issues specific to the county.

The training at the High Country Training Center will "emphasize identifying high-hazard areas in our county, tactics in reading fire behavior, structure protection, using wildfire-specific equipment and tools, cutting strategies and, of course, safety procedures," said Brandon Williams of Lake Dillon Fire Rescue.

Fire agencies also are keeping a close eye on weather conditions as the state heads into its most active months for wildfire.

A moderate to strong La Niña pattern, characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific, could spell bad news for areas already drying as the state's snowpack recedes, said Tim Mathewson, meteorologist for the federal Bureau of Land Management.

"If you look back at some of the stronger La Niña events that have occurred in the past, that condition in the eastern tropical Pacific has brought drier-than-average conditions to much of Colorado during the spring and summer months. It also in the past has brought windier-than-average conditions to Colorado," Mathewson said.

The snowpack on the Western Slope and much of Colorado's high country east of the Continental Divide has been fading since mild weather began in February and March, exposing wildland fuels such as dead trees, branches and brush to the drying effects of wind and sun, Mathewson said.

The outlook for eastern Colorado is better because moisture along the South Platte and Arkansas river drainages is normal for now, he said.

A more in-depth outlook is expected by the end of April or the first part of May when the Rocky Mountain Area Assessment of the fire season is released, Mathewson said.

Easy on the water

Many cities are still considering what kind of water restrictions, if any, to put in place for the spring and summer.

• Aurora: It's likely watering will be limited to no more than three days a week, but a final decision by the City Council is slated for today.

• Denver: Usual summertime watering rules likely will apply, including watering no more than three days a week.

ablec@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5020

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