In what is being called an historic, challenging, and almost \u201capocalyptic\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
Two major wildfires along Colorado\u2019s Front Range<\/a> have burned hundreds of homes, forced the evacuations of tens of thousands, and charred some of the nation\u2019s most scenic landscapes and vistas within a three-week period.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Questions are now being raised about how such catastrophes could have happened, and how to prevent future firestorms, especially in urban areas.<\/p>\n The eyes of the nation turned once again to Colorado this week when the Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado Springs, now Colorado\u2019s most destructive fire, destroyed 346 homes, killed at least one person, and forced the evacuation of more than 36,000 residents.\u00a0 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, \u201cAmerica the Beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n 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 \u201c\u2026looked like nothing short of a full-scale military invasion,\u201d according to Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper.\u00a0 Colorado Springs Fire Chief Richard Brown called the blaze “\u2026a firestorm of epic proportions.”\u00a0 President Obama will visit the burn area on Friday.<\/p>\n The High Park Fire near Fort Collins is Colorado\u2019s second most destructive fire in history, and has been burning for more than three weeks.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Another wildfire is burning in the foothills of Boulder.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 Boulder-based author and journalist Michael Kodas has been studying global wildfire management, and says there are three main reasons:\u00a0 climate, forest management, and development.<\/p>\n Weather plays an important role in both the creation and behavior of wildfires.\u00a0 Colorado\u2019s climate has been warming and becoming much drier over the past decade.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 According to an I-News<\/a> report, \u201cAs the number of people in red zones has exploded, so has the number of fires – and the damage each did.\u00a0 Today, 1.1 million Coloradans live in more than half a million homes in red zones across the state. \u00a0That\u2019s one of every four homes and one of every five people in the state.\u201d<\/p>\n VIDEO HERE:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.9news.com\/video\/default.aspx?bctid=1709976093001<\/a><\/p>\n