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Open fires, private fireworks now prohibited
Firefighters at the High Park Fire in Larimer County work to protect structures. PHOTO COURTESY INCIWEB.
By Summit Voice
SUMMIT COUNTY —Although the two biggest wildfires currently burning in Colorado were both started by lightning, state officials want to reduce the chance of human-caused blazes by implementing a statewide ban on open fires and the private use of fireworks.
A bone-dry late winter and spring, along with well-above average temperatures several months in a row, have created dangerous fire conditions throughout much of the state. Any small fires could quickly grow out of control.
By most measures, at least three-quarters of all wildfires are started by human activities, including carelessness, escaped agricultural fires, forestry operations, sparks from off-road vehicles and even discarded cigarettes. Those statistics hold true in most other countries, as well.
In Summit County, the two most recent significant wildfires were caused by downed powerlines, including the Montezuma Fire in March, and the June 2011 fire at the mouth of Keystone Gulch. (more…)
Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Drought, forest fires | Tagged: Colorado, Colorado fire ban, fireworks, Gov. John Hickenlooper, wildfire | 2 Comments »
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