Dave Marston’s red flag warning (Herald, Jan. 15) about wildfire danger in La Plata County comes with three prevention “basics.”
I’d suggest adding a fourth: Deny construction of large-scale utility facilities that carry inherent wildfire risk. This includes large-scale lithium-ion storage facilities accompanying huge industrial solar generating plants.
As more industrial-size solar facilities are being built, major fire incidents caused by their lithium-ion storage batteries increase.
Locally, the 500,000-panel Hesperus Solar industrial-scale generating plant, rumored to be gearing up for a second attempt at a construction permit, is proposed on 1,920 acres in a moderate-to-high fire risk area with high burn probability, as designated by the Colorado State Forest Service.
Accompanying the massive solar plant is a 155-megawatt lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage System. A BESS fire cannot be extinguished by water. A BESS fire must be allowed to burn itself out.
A wildfire created by a lithium malfunction at Hesperus Solar’s BESS would initially be fought by Fort Lewis Mesa Fire and Rescue, a volunteer fire department. With winds from the southwest common, a wildfire erupting at the Hesperus Solar site and moving northeast over heavily forested lands could easily consume Shenandoah and Rafter J, and would be within striking distance of Durango, less than 10 crow-fly miles away.
Prevention is the best tool for preparing for wildfire. To Marston’s good recommendations, add a fourth prevention tool: Prohibit construction in the county of industrial solar facilities prone to wildfire.
Holly Hagan
Hesperus
