Multiple wildfires burning along Colorado’s Front Range have prompted thousands of evacuations.
One person died and five homes were confirmed destroyed in the Stone Canyon fire in Boulder County. The fire burned 1,548 acres with 20% containment by Wednesday evening.
The Alexander Mountain Fire in Larimer County had burned 7,648 acres by Wednesday evening, with 1% containment.
On Wednesday morning, Governor Polis activated the Colorado National Guard to assist with the wildfire response. Speaking that day, Polis noted that the numerous fires burning not only in Colorado but also in the Pacific Northwest are stretching resources. He added that Colorado is better positioned because the state controls its limited aerial firefighting fleet.
“If you go back in time to the last fire several years ago, the last major fire and fires of the past, we relied entirely on an interstate pool. We are still benefiting, we have two scoopers from Wyoming, but the majority of the resources that are being deployed are under Colorado's direct control. if they weren't, it's likely they wouldn't even be here right now,” he said.
The fleet includes the state’s new Firehawk helicopter, which is assisting in fighting fires in Larimer, Boulder, and Jefferson counties.
Stan Hilkey, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, said hot, dry weather has created ripe conditions for wildfires across the region, but the state’s wildfire detection system is aiding in the response.
“ We have multi mission aircraft that fly really high and they have great camera systems on them, both thermal and infrared and everything else. And so after a fire or after a lightning storm or during really hot periods like this, we can fly over areas that we're the most worried about and spot fires that are really small and then we tell the jurisdiction of record ‘Hey, you had a fire here’ and they go and they put it out before it becomes a big fire. So that's happened over 800 times since we've had those aircraft in the air,” he said.
“In addition to that, we partner with the Colorado National Guard and the Department of Defense with a system called Fire Guard. And they have tools that help us spot fires as well.”
Congressman Joe Neguse, who represents Colorado’s Second Congressional District, including Boulder County, joined Governor Polis on Wednesday to tour the wildfire areas. The House Assistant Minority Leader and Co-Chair and Founder of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus said the immediate concern is controlling the fires, but there are also long-term impacts that need to be addressed.
“ So there will be a lot for us to do in the coming months once these fires are contained around watershed protection around mitigation and taking the long holistic view on what we need to do to ultimately prevent the kind of erosion in the soils that ultimately culminate in these flash floods, in particular in this part of western Larimer County, which we experienced post the Cameron Peak fire just two years ago, and ultimately three lives were tragically lost in those floods,” he said.
Earlier this year Congressman Neguse introduced the Watershed Protection and Forest Recovery Act, a bill to protect communities’ water resources after wildfires in national forests.
Another fire ignited in Boulder County on Wednesday afternoon near Gross Reservoir. At least one house was destroyed and two firefighters were injured. The Boulder County sheriff’s office said the fire was human-caused.
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