Firefighters are on alert, worried about next fire
Fire warnings are constantly on the minds of firefighters across southern Colorado.
“Never such a thing as a slow day anymore,” said Capt. Glenn Conklin.
Proving these firefighters are ready to go out at a moment’s notice.
“We were out driving fields to the east almost to Falcon,” Conklin said. “Planning for access.”
Conklin knows fire precaution all too well.
He was one of the first firefighters to respond when the Black Forest fire sparked.
“Just how incredibly fast a relatively small fire exploded right in front of us into a raging inferno,” Conklin said.
Since then, new trucks with GPS technology were brought on board to speed up response times.
Those trucks carry hundreds of gallons of water and brush trucks designed specifically to contain grass fires faster.
“It allows us to always be prepared to respond quickly, so we can always get that right apparatus there,” said Capt. Steve Oswald with the Colorado Springs Fire Department.
On red flag days, preparation is their main focus.
“Lives are depending on how quickly we can get there,” Oswald said.
Firefighters at all stations meet every morning, reading through data on wind speeds, humidity and other factors which could lead to a potential fire.
That will be their course of action, in what they fear could be a bad spring and summer.
“It gets people a little nervous,” Conklin said. “The fuels are dry … it’s windy.”
Red Flag Warnings are issued by the National Weather Service, which analyzes the weather conditions for a fire to spread.
Actual burn bans are determined by the city and county fire marshals who analyze the actual ground conditions along with weather before deciding to put a ban in place.
