Wildfires: Budget woes to affect fuels treatments, post-fire rehab

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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A wildfire burns in Keystone Gulch, near the base of Keystone Ski Area, in June, 2011.

Fewer firefighers, less wildfire fuels treatments and less post-fire rehab

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — The federal budget crunch means firefighters will have to do more with less this summer, federal officials said this week. Because of the sequester, the Forest Service will not fill 500 firefighting positions and will make do with 50 less engines on the ground.

“We are facing another dangerous wildfire season. We are prepared; we’re not as funded as we might be about 5 years from now, so teamwork is really critical to what we have to do,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, speaking Monday at a briefing at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise Idaho.

In particular, parts of the West are facing another challenging fire season, with greatest potential threats in the Pacific Coast states and into the interior northwest, including Idaho and southwest Montana, according to the center’s predictive services team. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, forest fires, Forest health, pine beetles and wildfires, public lands, US Forest Service, wildfires | Tagged: , , , , | 3 Comments »

Wildfires: Forest Service moves on upgrading air tankers

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Contract awards should enable some aircraft to come online this year

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A MAFFS-equipped Air National Guard C-130 Hercules drops fire retardant on wildfires in southern California,

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — With its old-school propeller airtanker fleet dwindling, the U.S. Forest Service announced this week that it’s taking the next step to upgrade aerial firefighting capabilities by bringing bigger and faster next generation planes online.

Specifically, Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said the agency issued a notice of intent to award contracts to five companies to provide a total of seven new airtankers for wildfire suppression. (more…)

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Wildfires: Repeat of 2012 not likely in Colorado

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Wildfire season off to slowest start in past 10 years, but parts of the far West are at high risk for early season activity

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April brought above average precipitation to the northern Rockies, but much of the far West, as well as the Southern Plains, remained very dry, setting the stage for wildfire danger.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The western wildfire season has started slowly, but patchy winter snowfall means some areas will be more at-risk than other, especially California, where parts of the state reported record- or near-record low snowpack for this past winter.

In Colorado, a repeat of the early and deadly Colorado wildfire season is not likely, federal wildfire experts said in their May update, explaining that a wetter and cooler spring will help delay the onset of the season, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

But a dry winter in parts of the Colorado San Juans means some of the higher-elevation forests in the southwestern part of the state may be at higher risk of fires this spring and summer, the center’s monthly report said. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Drought, Environment, forest fires, forests, wildfires | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Wildfires: What does it take to scorch soils?

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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Summit County firefighters extinguish a wildfire along Montezuma Road in March, 2012.

Dense ground cover protects soil by holding moisture; areas in direct sunlight with sparse, dry vegetation suffered more damage

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Fire scientists trying to learn more about how and when to set prescribed burns came to a surprising conclusion when they torched a 22-acre watershed in Portugal.

After mapping the watershed and setting up an array of instruments, they carefully monitored the fire and especially soil temperatures, finding that large, hot fires do not necessarily scorch soils.

The test fire showed that in areas with dense vegetation, where the fire burned hotter, the underlying soil stayed cooler — a finding they described as an inverse effect running contrary to  previous studies and conventional wisdom. (more…)

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Summit County plans large-scale wildfire training exercise

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Evacuation and communications seen as critical elements in emergency response

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Summit County emergency responders along U.S. Highway 6 during a June, 2011 fire in Keystone Gulch, Colorado. Bob Berwyn photo.

By Summit Voice

Register for emergency notifications at www.SCAlert.org.

Follow the Summit County Sheriff’s Department on Twitter.

FRISCO — Next week’s large-scale emergency response test in Summit County will include door-to-door visits by uniformed officials in the Ruby Ranch, Willowbrook Highlands and Ptarmigan Ranch subdivisions, notifying residents about evacuation procedures in case of a wildfire.

The April 30 exercise includes more than 100 local emergency responders and will test the ability of local agencies to respond to a mock scenario revolving around a number of wildfires which spread due to high winds. The Summit County Sheriff’s Office in particular will be testing plans for evacuation and public information. (more…)

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Colorado: Federal funds to help restore watersheds in High Park, Waldo Canyon fire areas

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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A burned watershed in the footprint of he Waldo Canyon fire.

Critical work in High Park, Waldo Canyon fire areas to protect against flooding and erosion

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Federal agencies will continue to assist local Colorado governments with critical watershed restoration and protection work.

The projects include mulching, seeding, channel stabilization measures in areas hard-hit by last summer’s High Park and Waldo Canyon fires. The $19.8 million is  funded through the the Emergency Watershed Protection program.

Residences and neighborhoods built in fire-prone forest zones are at risk of flooding in burned areas; local and regional water supplies are also threatened.

(more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, forest fires, forests, wildfires | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Forest health task force session features wildfire info

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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Firefighters extinguish a small March 2012 blaze along Montezuma Road, in Summit County, Colorado. Bob Berwyn photo.

Experts to discuss local wildfire conditions

By Summit  Voice

FRISCO — Somewhat battered by decade-long waves of bark beetles, Summit County’s  forests are showing signs of a strong comeback.

In both logged and un-logged areas,young lodgepoles are spurting upward, with growth rates doubling in some areas and new stands of developing aspens on sunnier patches of ground. The regeneration is especially eye-catching in stands that haven’t been logged. With sunlight streaming through the bare branches of beetle-killed pines, a thriving mix of shrubs, berry bushes and grasses carpets the forest floor, proving shelter for new conifer species, including subalpine fir and Englemann spruce.

But the new forest, along with the beetle-killed areas, is still subject to the ever-present threat of wildfires, which are a natural part of lodgepole forest ecology. And since so many Summit County dwellings are on the fringes of those forests, local homes and neighborhoods are also at risk.

Recent spring snows have eased drought conditions, water and wildfire experts say there will still be a chance of fires later this summer, and they want educate local residents about the potential risk to neighborhoods.

This month’s Summit County Forest Health Task Force meeting (April 24, 7-8:30 p.m., at the old Frisco Community Center, 3rd and Granite) will feature talks from  local wildfire experts, including Ross Wilmore and Jeff Berino. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, forest fires, forests, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news, wildfires | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

CU study aims to spur homeowner wildfire mitigation

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Social scientists to probe homeowner behavior in the red zone

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Social scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder want to find the most effective ways to encourage homeowners to reduce wildfire risk on their property. Bob Berwyn photo.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — A pair of University of Colorado Boulder social science researchers will use a $298,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to try and determine what sort of information shapes homeowner behavior in fire-prone areas on Colorado’s Western Slope.

In the past 10 years, the social and economic costs of wildfires have soared across the country, and especially in the West. As wildfire hazards increase, mitigating risks on individual properties is of paramount importance.

Starting with the premise that each household’s actions can affect the choices of neighbors, the researchers want to explore two pathways linking homeowners’ choices as they relate to awareness about risk interdependency and social norms. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Drought, Environment, forests, global warming, wildfires | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Wildfires: Forest Service contracts for ‘legacy’ airtankers

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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A P3 air tanker drops flame retardant on the Las Conchas fire in New Mexico, July 2011. Photo courtesy Kari Greer/USFS.

Parts of West expecting another dangerous wildfire season

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — The U.S. Forest Service has finalized contracts for several large legacy airtankers, ensuring that the agency will have at least eight large airtankers to support wildland fire suppression through the 2013 fire season.

Legacy aircraft are those that have been used as part of the Forest Service aviation program for years, and in some cases, decades. The agency is transitioning to the next generation of airtankers that can fly farther and faster with a bigger payload.

“These legacy airtankers will continue to be part of our overall strategy as we prepare for another busy season of wildfires,” said U.S. Forest Service Chief TomTidwell. “These large airtankers play an important role in wildfire suppression by helping slow the progress of wildfires, allowing firefighters on the ground to safely contain them.” (more…)

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Wildfires: Summit County taking grant applications for fuel-reduction projects

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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Much of the fuels reduction work around Summit Cove has been completed, but requires ongoing maintenance.

County aims to link defensible spaces across neighborhoods

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO —The Summit County Wildfire Council is once again preparing to award grants for residents who want to remove hazardous fuels and reduce wildfire risks around their homes and neighborhoods.

Grant applications will be taken through April 26. The application forms are available online at
http://www.co.summit.co.us/extension
. Call Dan Schroder at 970-668-4140 for more information.

Wildfire Council grant applicants must also develop a weed management plan with the help of Summit County experts to prevent the spread of invasive plants in treated areas.

Sine 2006, the grant program has awarded about $1.3 million, leveraging additional funds to total $3.3 million for fuels reduction and wildfire mitigation. Locally, about 10,000 acres have been treated. Details on treatment areas are available in an online map book created by the wildfire council. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Drought, Environment, forest fires, global warming, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news, wildfires | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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