In what is being called an historic, challenging, and almost “apocalyptic” fire season, the two most destructive wildfires in Colorado history just occurred within a three-week period, raising concerns about fire safety and forest management.
Two major wildfires along Colorado’s Front Range have burned hundreds of homes, forced the evacuations of tens of thousands, and charred some of the nation’s most scenic landscapes and vistas within a three-week period. Residents along with fire officials and personnel have been stunned at the enormity of these destructive fires as well as the extreme behaviors they both displayed. Questions are now being raised about how such catastrophes could have happened, and how to prevent future firestorms, especially in urban areas.
The eyes of the nation turned once again to Colorado this week when the Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado Springs, now Colorado’s most destructive fire, destroyed 346 homes, killed at least one person, and forced the evacuation of more than 36,000 residents. The fire also forced the closure of most of the U.S. Air Force Academy as well as many popular tourist attractions, including Pikes Peak, the inspiration for the song, “America the Beautiful.”
Fueled by winds of 65 mph and extreme heat and drought conditions, the Waldo Canyon fire swept down upon the town of Colorado Springs and “…looked like nothing short of a full-scale military invasion,” according to Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper. Colorado Springs Fire Chief Richard Brown called the blaze “…a firestorm of epic proportions.” President Obama will visit the burn area on Friday.
The High Park Fire near Fort Collins is Colorado’s second most destructive fire in history, and has been burning for more than three weeks. It has burned more than 136 square miles, destroyed at least 257 homes, killed one person, and impacted air quality and tourism in the northern part of the state. Another wildfire is burning in the foothills of Boulder.
The number of wildfires in Colorado, especially along the Front Range, has grown significantly during the past decade. Since 2002 there has been an almost 300% increase, igniting debates about the reasons behind this huge increase. Boulder-based author and journalist Michael Kodas has been studying global wildfire management, and says there are three main reasons: climate, forest management, and development.
Weather plays an important role in both the creation and behavior of wildfires. Colorado’s climate has been warming and becoming much drier over the past decade. This change in climate has resulted in an extension of the fire season in many areas of the state by as much as two months. The longer and more severe droughts being experienced in Colorado are desiccating fuels earlier in the season and the extremely thin snow pack this year left areas that rarely see fire tinder dry and vulnerable.
“Looking back historically, spring was not considered part of fire season in Colorado until the very recent past,” says Elk Creek Fire Chief Bill McLaughlin, speaking after the Lower North Fork fire killed three people in March. “It’s been largely the last decade that they’ve seen those spring fires occurring.”
But climate change is just part of the problem. Development and subsequent forest management changes in red zones, those areas considered to be at the highest risk for the most dangerous fires, have contributed to the increasing numbers of wildfires. According to an I-News report, “As the number of people in red zones has exploded, so has the number of fires – and the damage each did. Today, 1.1 million Coloradans live in more than half a million homes in red zones across the state. That’s one of every four homes and one of every five people in the state.”
VIDEO HERE: http://www.9news.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=1709976093001
The Colorado State Forest Service reports that during the 1960s, Colorado averaged about 460 fires per year, which burned about 8,000 acres annually. The number of fires and acreages burned has increased in the past decade to around 2,500 fires per year burning nearly 100,000 acres. Thus far in 2012, wildfires have already burned more than 204,000 acres.
Contributing to the wildfire problem are public policies regarding forest management and population growth. Protecting homes in the red zones is costly, but with taxpayers paying the bills, there’s little incentive for developers and individuals to limit building in these areas.
Additionally, many of Colorado’s forests are overgrown and unhealthy, suffering from an extensive mountain-pine-beetle infestation and pests like dwarf mistletoe, which are killing millions of trees. Although both state and federal management policies call for periodic prescribed burns as well as thinning of excess trees, pressure from landowners has contributed to creating forests full of extremely flammable fuel.
Millions of acres of forests in Colorado need restoration, but with more people and developments encroaching into these lands, these restorations are less likely to happen, increasing the need for greater protection from wildfires. It’s a vicious cycle. And with many of these fires now occurring in the Wildland Urban Interface, continued suppression of these fires will allow biomass to increase for future catastrophic fires. Add in record-breaking temperatures and drought conditions over an extended period of time, and the recipe for disastrous mega-firestorms is perfect.
“Welcome to the new era of ‘megafires,’ which rage with such intensity that no human force can put them out. Their main causes, climate change and fire suppression, are fueling a heated debate about how to stop them.” – Daniel Glick, Audubon Magazine
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