Red Flag Warnings in November?

We’re used to dry, windy conditions in the summer.

But a Red Flag Warning in November?

It’s possible. And it poses a very real threat.

Although the advisory came as a bit of a surprise for some people that we talked to, like Brawn Palizzolo.

For her, this is the perfect weather.

“It would even be good for swimming,” she said.

But the down side to this nice weather? High fire danger.

You might think that because there is snow on the mountain and the calendar reads November that the fire danger would be lower and the fire season would be over.

But think again.

“A lot of times this time of the year, the fuels will dry out after growing during the summer, especially with the moisture we saw this summer,” said Lt. Mike Evers of the Colorado Springs Fire Department.

He continued, “In the Broadmoor area we had a fire in the (1950s) sweep through and that went through Ft. Carson.”

Images from the archive at the Penrose Library show the fire.

The Fort Carson blaze destroyed nearly three-dozen buildings and killed nine people.

The most remarkable thing about the fire is the date: Jan. 17, 1950.

“The snow will go away, it’ll dry out and all of a sudden we’ll got these danger days,” said Lt. Evers.

Proving that fire is possible anytime of the year in our area.

Another after season fire was in Rocky Mountain National Park that started in October 2012, re-ignited on the last day of November and burned 3500 acres.

It took a snowstorm to put the fire out.