Colorado Trail Explorer app gives wildfire alerts to outdoor recreationists

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) reminds the Colorado outdoor community about the Colorado Trail Explorer (COTREX) mobile app, which displays active fire alerts, including wildfires and prescribed burns in covered areas.

The app is free and provides trail information across local, state and federal agencies, with 236 land managers contributing data on 45,076 miles of trail across the state, says CPW.

CPW says the app works directly and exclusively with land managers to ensure that the information on the app comes from reliable sources.

According to CPW:
COTREX includes daily wildfire and prescribed burn alerts from trusted sources like Inciweb and the National Interagency Fire Center.

• Alerts will automatically appear on the website and app, providing descriptions, boundaries and links to additional resources when available.
• Wildfire and prescribed burn information is checked daily by COTREX.
• Management agencies that do not report to Inciweb or the NIFC systems can post their wildfire and prescribed burn alerts, though not every agency participates.

Additional fire safety best practices from CPW:

• Check fire restrictions or bans at www.coemergency.com.
• Use designated campfire areas when allowed and available. 
• Never leave a fire unattended.
• Don’t burn trash, leftover food, or garbage in campfire areas.
• Keep the fire small. Small fires consume fewer resources and leave less impact.
• Burn the wood completely to ash: Stop feeding the fire and give yourself an hour or more for the fire to completely burn out.
• When you are through, saturate the ash with water and ensure it’s cool to the touch.

For more information, visit cpw.state.co.us.

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