Hayden Pass Fire raising flooding concerns

The Hayden Pass Fire is 60 percent contained and now crews will focus on the future and protecting the burned and damaged land.

“They’re cutting down trees along that trail that could fall down and potentially injure somebody because we’ve got to come in really do some tread work,” said Jim Pitts, the Salida District Ranger for the U.S. Forest Service.

Pitts said it’s important to begin rehab projects as soon as possible.

“We’ve got the Coaldale campground, the Hayden Creek campground in the area. There’s even roads. You know roads are important to us,” Pitts said.

But funding could be an issue in the coming months because the fiscal year ends in September.

“We’ve got timelines and timeframes that we’ve got to work within, and we’re working with our regional office to basically expedite those contracting,” Pitts said.

The biggest concern moving forward is a large rainstorm that could cause flooding on the burn scar.

“Flash floods and debris flows have routinely proven to be more dangerous and more deadly than the fires themselves,” said Western Fremont Fire Protection District Chief John Walker.

Walker says the communities around the burn scar need to be extra vigilant during passing storms.

“We’re asking people to keep an eye on the weather. We’re asking them to keep an eye on the skies, pay attention to what’s going on,” Walker said.

And it’s not a threat that’s going to end anytime soon.

“You might get through weeks. You might get through months. You might get through years without any significant problem but one major rainfall event can change everything,” Walker said.