Fire danger remains high despite snow this winter
Ute Valley Park in northwestern Colorado Springs is known for it’s serenity, beauty – and wind.
Right now, it’s also very dry. And it’s near the site of one of the worst fires in Colorado history – Waldo Canyon.
Captain Ed Breece from the Colorado Springs Fire Department remembers it well.
“I took over the southern section of the Mountain Shadows neighborhood,” he said.
If you’ve been paying attention to the weather, you know that it was only a couple of weeks ago that we saw snow around the area.
You also probably know that we saw grass fires last weekend.
It doesn’t seem to add up, but if you’re specialty is battling wildfires then it makes perfect sense.
Grasses can dry very quickly in our area thanks to the low relative humidity.
“Within an hour of warmer temperatures, direct sunlight and a little wind, they’ll be ready to burn,” said Captain Breece.
There’s also plenty of sunshine and the occasional warm spell. But it doesn’t take record heat to get fire danger.
“The fuel moisture primarily determines what the fire danger is,” said Breece.
You probably know the signs that point to a higher than normal fire danger.
Determining what makes the signs that you see in front of the fire stations is the stuff of science, but it doesn’t take an advanced degree to figure out how to stay safe.
Breece said, “just be careful with the fire if you’re going to barbeque or whatever you’re doing out there.”
So that we can all enjoy nature this season.
While most wildfires are caused naturally – many of them by lightning, Captain Breece says that the most destructive wildfire in what is now the Broadmoor Bluffs neighborhood was in January – 1950.
