Vigilance urged this fire season

Guv: Be cautious with cigarettes, campfires, cars

Rocky Mountain News

Friday, May 9, 2008

A heavy high-country snowpack is no guarantee that 2008 won't be a difficult fire season.

That was Gov. Bill Ritter's message Friday as he delivered his annual briefing on the looming wildfire season.

Noting that the state was already off to a difficult start - a wildfire in Ordway led to the deaths of two firefighters, and one at Fort Carson saw a pilot perish - Ritter said efforts had been made to be prepared.

Noting that more fire crews than ever are available, including ones made up of state prisoners, Ritter also urged people to take steps to control what they can - their cigarettes, their campfires.

Where are the trouble spots?

Some areas of the plains and northwest Colorado are already at "moderate," "high" or "very high" fire dangers.

Didn't the state just experience a heavy winter snowfall in the high country?

Yes, but already concerns have arisen about the Front Range, foothills and some areas east of the Continental Divide, where grasses that grew tall in the heavy winter of 2006-2007 are quickly drying. And once the snowpack melts, areas can slip into "high" fire danger quickly.

What other factors could affect the summer fire season?

Vast stands of trees have been decimated by pine beetles and are at higher risk of fire as a result.

What has the state done to get ready?

Colorado officials have been working to improve the health of forests and also to beef up firefighting resources.

When Ritter spoke Friday, he was surrounded by equipment that included a single-engine air tanker and a specially designed truck for wildland firefighting.

In addition, the federal government has committed $25 million to fire suppression in Colorado and another $35 million to improve the health of forests in an effort to slash the number and intensity of wildfires.

What can I do?

Clear your land and build fire breaks. Be cautious with cigarettes, campfires and car mufflers.

• May 10, 2008

  9:45 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  AngelontheSidelines writes:

  Smokey was wrong

• May 11, 2008

  7:19 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  soccermom writes:

  You can support the wildland firefighter's families by joining the Wildland Firefighter Foundation 52 Club. It is at: http://www.wffoundation.org/52club/in...

  It costs $52 a year and helps family members with transportation to be with their injured wildland firefighter and other ways as well. Often the wildland firefighters are fighting fires in another part of the country and the family needs to pay for hotels, etc. while their family member is recovering.

  Volunteer fire fighters have to pay for their own equipment, they could use a few $$ as well. When firefighters request support during elections, please support them, they risk their lives for you and your property.

  If they ask you to evacuate during a fire crisis please respond appropriately. They are already doing what they are trained to do and do not need to take unnecessary risks to protect your property. Hopefully you buy good insurance if you are in a wildland/urban interface. If not, don't ask them to give up their lives to protect your oversight.

  Ask the USFS to give their employees adequate pay so that they don't have to use their summer overtime income to pay bills over the winter. Now many of them can make more from winter unemployment checks than from their regular paycheck (if they are even asked to work through the winter, in most cases they are let off) The USFS is losing its institutional knowledge because the support has not been there. We need to ensure that qualified, experienced people stay with the service.

  While some outsourcing is good, to outsource 50% of the Forest Service is questionable. Is it wise to privatize our federal agencies to that extent? Is it cost effective?

  The Forest Service still classifies wildland fire fighters as 'forestry techs' and that affects their pay grade. In many cases these are well trained professionals and should be recognized as such.

  Stay safe out there firefighers and thank you for all that you do.