As last week’s 213 Fire along La Posta Road and the more recent blaze up Missionary Ridge both demonstrated, the 2015 fire season has come early to Southwest Colorado. And with that, it behooves us all to be careful and aware. Wildfire can be fast-moving, and it is always dangerous.
The good news is that the authorities seem well aware of the threat and are ramping up their efforts in advance of the traditional peak fire season. The bad news is that they are right to feel the need to do so. The effort could prove well-needed.
Tuesday, the Durango City Council approved an agreement that sets up a framework for the city and local fire districts to jointly manage fires, share resources and, ultimately, to share costs. A similar agreement has been in place for several years but did not include the city. With that understanding, the city has now agreed to include $44,000 for wildfires that burn on city-owned land.
The hope is that by working together, local fire departments can manage fires longer at the local level before having to call in federal resources – resources that are both expensive and in short supply. Should it be necessary, however, it is also good to know those national resources are available and nearby.
The San Juan National Forest has an aviation program that includes a National Air Tanker Base, and a firefighting helicopter, and helps support the Bureau of Land Management’s Single Engine Air Tanker base at Cortez. The 10-person Durango Helitack Crew, which operates with the helicopter at the Durango Tanker Base, should be operational by May 15. So, too, should the tanker base itself.
Moreover, the Durango Interagency Fire Dispatch Center works to coordinate initial attacks on wildfires – almost like a central dispatch and air-traffic controller – within an alphabet soup of government agencies. It helps cover and coordinate the efforts of the San Juan National Forest, the BLM’s Tres Rios Field Office, agencies of the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Mesa Verde National Park. The center offers intelligence – on weather, as well as on law enforcement and other matters. It can also offer predictive advice on fire behavior and mobilize needed resources from around the country.
With all those resources and professionals looking after us, Southwest Colorado residents should feel well-guarded and safe. Except, of course, that besides those defenders, we are surrounded by even more – much more – wildland and forest. And, while fires caused by lightning or other natural causes certainly occur, perhaps the biggest threat we face is from ourselves.
If not done already, now is the time to do what can be done to “fireproof” homes by clearing out brush, moving woodpiles and creating defensible space. Have a “fire box” ready by the door with critical documents and prearranged plans. Be aware of the omnipresent danger of fire and your role in it. What are your escape routes? Where would you go and what would you bring? Think through what you would leave behind to save yourself.
Above all, though, think about what you can do to help prevent wildfire. Lightning and the like are bad enough, but many – if not most – serious wildfires are human in origin. That part we know we can all influence.
