Colorado officials provide update on 2025 wildfire forecast
The Colorado wildfire forecast is mixed for 2025. Although officials said parts of the state will see an average year, southern Colorado will see higher risks. Authorities warned residents it's important not to let their guard down. Even during an average year, around 6,000 fires will likely spark across the state, scorching around 160,000 acres.
Fire season in Colorado is year-round, which Director of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control Mike Morgan said has become the new normal. "We've had major fires and disasters every month of the year in the state of Colorado, and we can't afford to let our guard down," Morgan asserted.
Despite cuts across agencies that directly support the state's wildfire mitigation and firefighting efforts, like the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, officials said they feel Colorado has enough staff to handle them.
Colorado Director for the Bureau of Land Management Doug Vilsack said, "We're confident in our firefighting capability for this summer. Obviously, we are managing through a transition, but, for example, we have hired 54 of our seasonals so far for the summer. Generally, I think last year we had 58."
Drought forecasted for much of southern Colorado
CBS
While some of the state is expected to see an average wildfire season, southern Colorado will experience a higher risk this year because of dry conditions in the area. Southeast Colorado will see heightened conditions in April and May, with an increase in fire danger in the southwest this summer.
Executive Director of Colorado Department of Public Safety Stan Hilkey said, as in previous years, they expect wind events to drive much of the state's wildfire activity and urged Coloradans to take extra precautions during them. He explained fire season in Colorado is busy and urged Coloradans to sign up for local alert programs, be cautious with anything that can start a fire and have an evacuation plan ready.
Morgan said that during the summer months, fires happen on a near daily basis and are quickly extinguished, but the state is bound to see some large fires break out. He assured that they're ready for when that happens.
Homes damaged in Marshall Fire
CBS
Gov. Jared Polis said destructive fires like the Marshall Fire in Colorado and the Palisades Fire in California, which affected major population centers, are examples of the increasing danger to cities.
"Today, it's more of a question of when, not if, a fire will affect our communities. And that's why we're hard at work upping the bar on fire preparedness at the state level," he asserted.
Polis said those efforts include prevention measures through forest health and fire mitigation work. He said agencies are expanding the tools they have available, including satellite surveillance and electrical line video, to attack fires more quickly before they can grow out of control.
Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control
"We've also, as a state, made historic investments in state firefighting resources, including multiple state-owned helicopters like the Firehawk and multi-mission fixed-wing aircraft, fire engines and crews, contracting air tankers that allow us to quickly respond to fires across the state rather than wait for resources that are shared among multiple states," Polis explained.
He said that depending on out-of-state resources is too much of a risk because they may not be available when needed. Large parts of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona are under an elevated risk for wildfires this season.
"We've also created a state-wide dispatch system to help first responders locally order resources quickly and effectively with shorter response times," said Polis. "I recently signed an executive order to make sure that all the Colorado state employees who serve as volunteer firefighters and first responders get leave, and I continue to encourage our private sector employers to do the same to make sure that when they are needed, their employees are able to take leave to be able to participate as firefighters and first responders."
Director of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control Mike Morgan said the state's efforts towards fire mitigation are encouraging.
"At the end of the day, all of these decisions and all of the work that's being done here is for you as citizens and the visitors of Colorado and all of you fine people in the back of the room that risk your life every day to go out there and keep our community safe."
CBS
A major concern for Colorado residents is the increased cost of homeowners' insurance in high-risk areas and the struggle to find coverage. Polis urged Colorado residents to take steps to mitigate risks from wildfires and hail, which he said will help improve risk ratings and make rates more affordable.
Officials stressed that community involvement is essential in preventing the spread of wildfires, particularly as more people are moving into higher risk areas. They encouraged residents to work with their HOA and city councils to organize mitigation efforts and create community wildfire protection plans.
The Colorado State Forest Service offers a guide with steps that can help protect homes and property from wildfires, including:
Ensure the roof has a Class A fire rating
Remove all leaves, needles and other debris from decks, roofs and gutters
Screen attic, roof, eaves and foundation vents with 1/8-inch metal mesh
Screen or wall-in stilt foundations and decks with 1/8-inch metal mesh
Use tempered glass for windows; two or more panes are recommended
Create 6 inches of vertical clearance between the ground and home siding
Replace combustible fencing or gates, at least within 5 feet of the home
Colorado State Forest Service
The service's website advises working in zones to protect your home. "As you address the home ignition zone on your property, always start with the home or structure and work outwards. Remember, taking action to prepare for wildfire is not a one-time effort — it requires ongoing maintenance to give your home the best chance of surviving a wildfire."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Thursday wildfire burns 105 acres near Quincy
Jun. 7—QUINCY — A fire started around 3 a.m. Thursday, near Road 13 Northwest, east of Adams Road. According to Grant County Fire District 3 Chief David Durfee, the fire was under control at around 105 acres as of 4:53 p.m. "Crews were able to contain the fire pretty quickly," Durfee said. The fire was located on both state and federal land, Durfee said. The incident investigation has been turned over to the Bureau of Land Management. BLM will conduct an investigation into the cause of the fire. "The fire investigation is ongoing," Durfee said. "That's all we can say right now." During the blaze, Level Two evacuations were put in place; however, those have been lifted as of the fire containment, according to Durfee. Durfee confirmed there were no injuries or damaged structures.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Thunderstorms to bring more rain this weekend than all of May
Thunderstorms will bring more rainfall in six hours this weekend than England and Wales saw in the whole of May. The Met Office has warned that 'all areas' of Britain face torrential rain and thunder this weekend. Heavy showers would be accompanied by lightning and hail in some places, the forecaster added. Tom Morgan, a Met Office meteorologist, said 50mm of rain could fall within the space of six hours on Saturday. He said: 'That is more than what we have seen in the whole of the month of May. 'There will be some heavy downpours with thunder, lightning and hail. 'Most places are at risk of thunderstorms.' On average, England saw 33mm of rainfall in the whole of May. This was roughly half as much as usual, the forecaster said. Wales had 51mm of rainfall. Mr Morgan warned people to keep abreast of the forecasts as the weather was looking 'pretty changeable'. He said: 'There are a lot of outside events taking place this weekend. There is the potential for some disruption. 'We could see some flooding and surface water on the roads. Strong winds will mean temporary structures such as marquees could be vulnerable. 'It is welcome rain, really, for a lot of people, particularly farmers and gardeners.' On Friday night, a new weather front will bring rain and thunder for the weekend, but temperatures are set to rise next week to just above average for the time of year. Andrea Bishop, the Met Office spokesperson, said: 'The weather will be changeable for the rest of this week, with everyone likely to see some showers at some point. 'Generally, the theme is the continuation of something a bit cooler, a bit breezy at times, and a bit wet at times too. 'We are keeping an eye on a new front which looks like it will move in on Friday night, bringing rain which could be heavy, and possibly thundery at times on Saturday. 'Rainfall totals of 20-30mm are likely in places and at present, this looks like it will affect the southern half of the UK. We are keeping a close eye on this to see how it evolves over the next 24 hours or so.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
What does it mean to "contain" a wildfire?
Several weeks of fiery destruction have changed the landscape of Minnesota's northland. The three main wildfires — Camp House, Jenkins Creek and Munger Shaw — are all now nearly 100% contained after burning more than 29,421 acres as of June 3, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Keeping that number from growing requires hundreds of miles of effort on the ground and in the sky. "We're gonna have to continue to get rain in a timely manner in order to keep them in place and not going anywhere," said William Glesener, wildfire operations supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. What does it mean to contain a wildfire? Glesener explained with an analogy related to a campfire. "If you have a campfire that doesn't have a ring around it, doesn't have any stones around it or whatever, it's kind of wild, it's out in the open, it could go anywhere," Glesener said. But once you build or create a border around the campfire it becomes contained. Just multiply that on a massive scale with far less control and you have what's happening up north. What methods are deployed to contain a fire? "Oftentimes, depending upon where you're at in the country, different methods will be used," he said. Aircraft dropping water or fire retardant has been helpful for Minnesota's wildfires, along with crews on the ground doing the same. Heavy machinery like bulldozers carve out containment lines by removing fuel. Rivers and roads act as natural or manmade barriers. Crews also fight fire with fire. "If, for example, you are able to burn out and the fuel is all consumed in an area, you might not have any more fuel to be consumed, so that could actually be a containment line," he said. To measure containment, officials use percentages instead of miles covered. The measurement describes "how much of a wildfire's perimeter is surrounded by a control line," according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association. "If a wildfire is 25% contained, control lines around 25% of its perimeter have been established," it further states. "It's important to remember that just because a fire is contained doesn't mean it has stopped burning," Glesener said. "Hotspots remain and new fires can start due to weather conditions and fuel in the fire perimeter. The caveat that we have there is how far is that heat inside the line." Crews will have to determine if hotspots need water to keep new fires from reaching the containment lines. Beyond that, they'll wait for several rounds of rain to finish the job. "Basically, the fires we have in the Arrowhead, they're going to be monitored all summer long," he said. They'll keep an eye on the fire from the sky using planes, drones and cameras with heat-detecting technology. Ground crews will also carefully trek through wildfire perimeter to get a lay of the land up close. The Horse River Fire is the latest challenge up north. It has burned only 13 acres in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area as of June 3, but it has zero percent containment.
