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Colorado firefighters battle a small blaze near Keystone, Colorado. PHOTO BY BOB BERWYN.
Order only applies to state-controlled lands; prescribed burns remain an important resource management took in fire-adapted western forest ecosystems
By Bob Berwyn
SUMMIT COUNTY — While acknowledging the importance of prescribed fire as a resource management tool, the Colorado State Forest Service joined Gov. John Hickenlooper in calling for an independent review of the circumstances that resulted in the deadly Lower North Fork Fire.
The announcement came after deputy state forester Joe Duda confirmed that a prescribed burn was the likely source of ignition for the Lower North Fork Fire, which has affected a 4,500 acre area in Jefferson County, burning 23 homes and killing two residents.
“We will conduct a thorough and comprehensive review of conditions across the state, as well as the protocols that have been utilized during the prescribed burns,” Hickenlooper said. “We encourage any other land manager who uses prescribed fires as a tool to mitigate fire danger to review their procedures and protocols and carefully evaluate weather and landscape conditions.” (more…)
Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, forest fires, Forest health, forests | Tagged: Colorado, Colorado State Forest Service, Controlled burn, forest fires, Hickenlooper suspends prescribed fires, prescribed fires, Wildfires | Leave a Comment »
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