Alarm sounded: Prepare for long, dangerous summer

By Alan Gathright, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The deadly early-season wildfire sweeping across Crowley County has lawmakers repeating warnings about the state's need to be ready for what could be a long, dangerous summer.

Rep. Rob Witwer, R-Genesee, and Sen. Mike Kopp, R-Littleton, are pushing for a special interim committee this summer to strengthen Colorado's ability to prevent and combat wildfires.

A key concern is anecdotal reports about an exodus of volunteer firefighters. Witwer said the committee would quantify the loss of volunteers who sometimes can't handle the cost of safety gear and other pressures of being a part-time first-responder.

"In most parts of the state if you dial 911, the first-responder will be a volunteer," Witwer said, referring to suburban and rural volunteer departments.

"Every summer we face the possibility of catastrophic wildfire. And the fact that it's starting so early this year highlights the need for the state to do everything it can to support our volunteer firefighters," he said.

Witwer and Kopp teamed on a package of bills this session to counter the fire threat, including a failed effort to give volunteer firefighters a $250 tax credit to defray the cost of their emergency equipment. It died in the House Finance Committee.

Another Witwer bill to give a $2,500 tax deduction to homeowners who clear tinder-dry brush and debris around their homes is stalled in the Senate Appropriations Committee after a 5-5 vote.

But the lawmakers succeeded with a bill to allow volunteer agencies to shop for better health benefits deals in large insurance pools.

Now, the lawmakers hope to convince colleagues to approve the interim committee.

The goal is to strengthen the state's ability to combat wildfires as Colorado's urban growth expands into fire-prone forest areas. The committee would explore wildfire prevention strategies, including holding hearings to learn the insights of Coloradans living in harm's way.

"This is an issue we care deeply about, and we intend to give these communities all the tools we can to fight these devastating fires," Kopp said. Once a "hot shot" forest firefighter and son of a firefighter, he said he wants to use his experience to protect constituents.

• April 17, 2008

  6:57 a.m.

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  jackson_foi writes:

  Thank you lawmakers. While it is understandable that there is a lack of funding for $2500 landscape credits on properties that should be uninsurable without routine fire-prone forest area maintenance, we should be able to give $250 to the brave souls who respond to the fires. Tuesday's high wind and warm temperature forecast was well covered, brush-burning under those conditions should be arson.