fire ban mapThe calendar says that it is officially fall, but it sure doesn’t feel like fall here in Colorado.  Just two days ago, Denver set a record high temperature at 89 degrees and is vying for one of the warmest Septembers on record.  Usually by this time during other Septembers, we would be running our pellet stove.  In fact, by this time last year, we had already received the season’s first snowfall.  But not this year.

It may seem strange to think we are in fact worrying about wildfires, but one of the worst fire in Boulder County’s history occurred five years during the month of September. Normally, we receive ample moisture during July and August to moisten the soils, but not this year.  Our Colorado monsoon season never really materialized, and now we’ve had almost three months of dry, warm weather, with no anticipated cold snap or moisture in the near term forecast.

The prolonged wet spring helped grasses and plants grow fast and tall during the summer months, and those same grasses have not dried out creating ample fuel for a wildfire to consume.  Because of this, the sheriff of Boulder County enacted a fire ban for western Boulder County which includes all of Nederland.  This ban pretty much quashes any kind of outdoor activity that could spark a fire including fireworks, outdoor campfires, even smoking cigarettes near flammable materials.

Boulder County is known to be progressive on a lot of issues, wildfire prevention being one of them.  After the Black Tiger Fire of 1989 that destroyed 44 homes and caused 10 million dollars in property damage, they put strict regulations on new construction.  Our house was built in 1992, which meant that our roof had to be of a certain ignition-resistant shingles, as well as meet other requirements.  This same progressiveness leads them to put bans into place before some disastrous fire breaks out.  Knowing the conditions and looking at the long-term forecast for more of the same hot and dry weather in the days to come, they are being proactive in putting a ban into place now.

As a resident that lives in the Wildland-Fire Interface, otherwise known as the WUI, I for one, am grateful they choose for stricter regulations.  Even though, most residents are careful and mindful of the risk, many of our visitors don’t have that same sense of caution.  Just last summer, some people renting a house near our neighborhood decided to have a bonfire outside and set the forest on fire.  Thankfully, a neighbor was home and called it in immediately, and local firefighters were able to put it out before much damage was done.  But remembering this incident reminds me that this warm dry fall carries the same risks, and the sheriff’s office is taking steps to keep us all safe ahead of the winter snows.

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