June 3, 2015 VO LUM E 54 | IS S U E 22 | 75¢
PikesPeakCourier.net T E L L E R C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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Simtable tells what-if?
By Pat Hill
phill@coloradocommunitymedia.com It looks like a large board game. Players move according to the colors on a surface of crushed walnut shells that feel like sand. Actually, it’s a Simtable, a computer-based analytic tool that can highlight the direction, elevation, speed and intensity of fire in wilderness or urban areas. “We did strategy and tactics training with the table for our crews,” said Vern Champlin, fire marshal with Northeast Teller County Fire Protection District. “The simulations have an elevation layer in the program and a layer of fuel types and density - trees vs. grass.” The table is an interactive map of Woodland Park\Rampart Range Road area and was on loan last month to the firefighters from the Black Forest fire department. Director of the training show, Champlin “lights” a fire someplace on the table, moving the computer-based flashlight to determine the intensity and location, each denoted by a color, red for elevation, green for grassland or forest, for instance. From there, crews play their roles in simulated situations. “Fire runs more quickly up a south slope that’s preheated, warm and dry from the sun and slower down a northern slope which is cooler,” Champlin said. “The
table has all that in there so you can watch the fire move in a simulated event in real time.” Real time means how long it takes for a fire engine to get to the fire, Champlin said, incorporating the type of road, speed limit and distance from the station. “The reality is that we have limited resources and when we commit those resources and the fires still burns outside our capabilities - that is a very realistic simulation,” he said. “So much of it has to do with topography, temperature, wind and emergency resources.” Last month, Champlin invited city leaders as well as representatives from Coalition of the Upper South Platte and U.S. and state forest services to view the table. “We’ve been sort of noodling on this for the last couple weeks, just doing scenarios because we only have one factor we can control, fuel,” said NETCO board chairman Jim Ignatius. “So when the Community Wildfire Protection Plan was developed in 2005, we tried to protect the most-heavily populated areas in this county.” Over the years, Ignatius, at the time a Teller County commissioner, helped the county and the city bring in grants for fire-mitigation projects outlined in the protection plan. “Zone 1 is from Painted Rocks Road to the Lions Camp which was a big fuel break we put in,” he said. “Zone 2 connected to that and went out to Cedar
Fire Marshal Vern Champlin, foreground, right, introduces the Sim Table, a kind of map of Woodland Park, that is used for training for firefighters at Northeast Teller County Fire Protection District. Champlin invited city leaders to observe and be aware of the dangerous conditions in Teller County that are still prevalent today, despite the recent rains. Photo by Pat Hill Mountain Road.” Left to mitigate is everything south of U.S. 24, or the city of Woodland Park, he added. “That’s one of the important reasons you are all here today, to show how fast we can lose control of this,” Ignatius said. Champlin warns against complacency. “Just because there’s rain doesn’t mean that we’re not in a wildfire-prone environment,”
he said. “It’s not too early to prepare.” While some subdivisions have certification as FireWise communities, Champlin recommends going a step further by checking www.fireadaptedcommunities. com. “Fire-adapted community principles include not only fire-wise and vegetation management but also fire-resistant construction and ignitability,” Champlin said.
Fire risk less with wet weather POSTAL ADDRESS
PIKES PEAK COURIER (USPS 654-460)
OFFICE: 1200 E. Highway 24 Woodland Park, CO 80863 PHONE: 719-687-3006 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Teller County, Colorado, the Pikes Peak Courier is published weekly on Wednesday by Colorado Community Media, 1200 E. Highway 24, Woodland Park, CO 80863. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT WOODLAND PARK, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Thurs. 11 a.m. Legals: Thurs. 11 a.m. Classifieds: Mon. 10 a.m.
PL E ASE RECYCLE T HI S C OPY
Area trending toward a cooler, wetter summer By Ashleigh Hollowell Contributing writer
For a state that proudly advertises having more than 300 days of sunshine each year, the weather this past May has been very abnormal. However with the lingering rain clouds comes good news. Because of the large amounts of rain the area has recently received, there are no fire bans in place for Teller County, the overall drought level in the state has been drastically reduced, and fire danger levels in the area are predicted to stay lower than previous years throughout the rest of the fire season as the rainy weather continues. “The outlook is determined by examining several variables such as precipitation, snowpack, wind events, relative humidity levels, temperatures, sea surface temperatures, expected weather patterns, fuel dryness, and drought conditions,” explained Ralph Bellah, fire prevention officer for the Forest Service over the Pike and San Isabel National Forests as well as the Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands. “We are trending toward a cooler and wetter summer. The fire outlook for our area, with the favoring of above normal precipitation, is for the fire season to be below normal,” said Tom Magnuson, warning coordination meteorologist for The National Weather Service in Pueblo. Additionally, because of the above average precipitation levels in the area the actual onset of fire season will be delayed for the state as a whole according to the National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook developed by the Predictive Services National Interagency Fire Center that was issued May 1, 2015. According to the May 2015 drought update produced by the state’s Water Availability Task Force, 42 percent of the state is drought free which is a significant jump compared to the previous month’s 25 percent. However, recreationally it is still too early to tell how this climate improvement will impact local Fourth of July firework plans.
Teller County Rd. 112, with fire danger throughout Teller County is currently in the low to moderate range, but locals should always be prepared and educated when it comes to fire season. Photo by Ashleigh Hollowell “We do not know as of yet what conditions will be present if at all on July 4th or in the future,” said Lt. Marc Porcelli of the Teller County Sheriff’s Office. Although the area is expected to see a wetter season, being fire season conscious and ready is always a good idea especially in a climate where the weather is known for changing in the blink of an eye. “April and May has been wetter across the Pike and San Isabel National Forest which includes Teller County area compared to March. This has caused the fire danger to be in the low to moderate range, but if the moisture pulses stop then the fire danger will climb to the high to very high range within a week or two,” said Bellah. “Take personal responsibility and prepare long before the threat of a wildland fire so your home is ready in case of a fire,” he said. To ensure your home and property are not a fire hazard, Bellah recommends taking steps such as clearing brush and debris away from your home, using fire-resistant landscaping, and hardening your home with fire-safe construction measures. For Teller County, a community that sits be-
tween two large burn scars: The Hayman and The Waldo, burn risk is actually lowered due to a direct impact from the previous fire damage. “Because of the two wildfires there is currently less vegetation (fuel) to burn surrounding the Teller County area, thus helping to reduce the overall risk of it burning,” said Bellah. “That said, there is still enough vegetation that will respond to an ignition source to have more wildfires … the one key difference between the burned areas and unburned areas is in how intensely they might burn if they do ignite. The burned areas will burn with less intensity because many of the heavy fuel concentration were removed or modified by the previous burning event,” he said. Coupling the low fire danger expectations for this season with informed and responsible locals will allow this fire season to be one for the history books in a positive way. “Brush, grass, and forest fires do not have to be disasters. Homeowners can prepare their home and communities to reduce the risk of wildfire damage. Take responsibility for wildfire risk and become fire adapted,” Bellah said. To learn more about how to personally be ready for fire season, visit www.fireadapted.org.