Abnormal year of moisture could lead to problems for CSFD

Thanks to a snowy winter and a wet spring, Colorado Springs was finally lifted out of a bad drought.

Jeremy Taylor, who works in Wildfire Mitigation with CSFD said, “It’s a benefit to the city of Colorado Springs because we do come out of that drought condition and recognizing that our vegetation is doing fantastic right now.”

But with a slow start to monsoon season, parts of Colorado are slowly creeping back into drought status. Places like Baca County are running below average on rainfall. So, how is Colorado Springs doing?

Taylor said, “2019 has been an odd year for us, for moisture. We have received wonderful spring rains, wonderful late winter storms that has increased our moisture content here in the Springs. But it is abnormal.”

And according to Taylor, that abnormal year is both good and bad or as he calls it a double-edged sword.

Taylor said, “Increased vegetation because of moisture content allows for later fire season because that vegetation is a lot larger, it’s a bigger concern because there is more of it and naturally when it goes dormant it becomes a major risk for us.”

And looking forward, Taylor says it’s not just about making it to winter. It’s about seeing if that moisture from 2019 will sustain heading into next year.

“What I look at is not here present, next couple weeks. I am, rather, looking at next January, February, March, looking at that next spring. If we don’t sustain or don’t receive that moisture this winter, we are going to have an interesting 2020,” said Taylor.

Taylor and his crew are constantly checking the fuel, “We collect different diameters, different sizes, different types of vegetation. We literally cook the vegetation in the oven, we see how much moisture content is in that vegetation and how ready is it to burn.”

And even with summer coming to an end, it’s still important to be aware of your surroundings and make sure you aren’t creating an open spark.