2 The Independent
July 22, 2021
FIRES FROM PAGE 1
Schumacher said the increased temperatures are here to stay and the impact on the atmosphere is real. “In the mountains and western Colorado, the increasing temperatures puts more stress on vegetation and soil,” he said. “When the air is hotter, it is thirstier for water. The atmosphere then wants to pull the moisture out of the soils and crops. Even if you have a normal amount of precipitation, it does not go as far.” Along the Front Range, Schumacher said, 2021 has been a good year for snowfall and precipitation, but the effects of 2020 carry over. In years like 2020, Schumacher said, the exceedingly hot temperatures with a lower-than-average level of snow and rainfall become the perfect setting for wildfires. In 2020, an estimated 700,000 acres burned in the state as the Cameron Peak Fire, East Troublesome Fire and the Pine Gulch Fire blazed through Colorado lands. So far in 2021, the incident information system, InciWeb, estimates more than 25,000 acres have burned in seven different wildfires reported throughout the state.
A photo taken by firefighters on the scene of the Cameron Peak Fire near Fort Collins in COURTESY OF ARVADA FIRE 2020.
Daniel Beveridge, a wildfire mitigation specialist for the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS), said climate change has created a new reality as officials manage state forest lands. “With it being warmer and drier, it only intensifies fires, allowing them to burn faster,” he said. “The most important thing for people using public lands is to follow guidelines set by local jurisdictions. These warnings are not just created on a whim. They are not taken lightly, and
they are important.” According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, about 90% of wildfires are human caused, with the other 10% coming from nature such as lightning strikes. It is important that people take responsibility and realize that an overheated car parked in dry weeds can spark a major fire, Beveridge said. Evergreen Fire Rescue Chief Mike Weege said covering more than 120 square miles of land in parts of Jef-
Thornton Fire Lt. Perry Otero makes notes during his time deployed to Grand Junction to help fight the Pine COURTESY OF PERRY OTERO Gulch Fire in 2020.
ferson, Park and Clear Creek counties presents a lot of challenges. Besides climate issues, Weege said the current state of some of the state’s forest lands provides added fuel that allows a wildfire to get big fast. Dead, dry trees covering the forest floor have been a factor over the last few years, he said. “We have continued to see this unhealthy overgrowth in forests,” SEE FIRES, P3
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South Metro Fire District firefighters, Wes Polk, left, Travis McConnell, Todd Bramer and John Peterson left for a 14-day stint in California. Crews regularly help neighboring states fighting major wildfires throughout the year. COURTESY PHOTO
South Metro fire crews head to California Wildland firefighters to help as Western states battle worsening blazes STAFF REPORT
South Metro Fire Rescue crews have gone to California as part of a united effort in fighting wildfires in the Western states. According to the national Interagency Fire Center (IFC), more than 12,000 firefighters have been deployed throughout the country to fire nearly 60 large fires burning, including the Beckwourth Complex in California, which has burned more than 100,000 acres. Connor Christian, communications specialist for South Metro Fire Rescue, said the wildland team sent to California is based out of Station 20, a newly built fire station in Highlands Ranch. “We always have firefighters on a deployment ready list in case wildfires start in the state of Colorado
or in states around the country,” Christian said. “When our department receives an order for wildland resources, we will send a variety of options.” South Metro serves a large expanse of south Arapahoe and north Douglas counties. In a Twitter post, firefighters Wes Polk, Travis McConnell, Todd Bramer and John Peterson bid farewell to home, heading to California for 14 days. Christian said when this crew returns, if more help is still needed, South Metro will send out another crew. Christian said in some cases, crews only get a few hours’ notice to deploy because a fire is growing out of control. In this case, Christian said the four-man crew got notice overnight that they would be shipping out by morning on July 13. Christian said a wildland deployment can consist of multiple fire operations responsibilities, including providing structure protection, digging fire lines, or serving as a look out for changes in the fire’s behavior as it reacts to the weather.
