Weather

Colorado wildfires because of climate change – Fire because of it?


Guest essay by Eric Worrall

Climate ambulance chasers are trying to start another photogenic wildfire for their cause. But Colorado legislated a regulatory burn ban in 2012, after a failed burn that left three people dead.

How climate change preyed on Colorado for a rare December wildfire

The ground, often wet from snow at this time of year, is dry and flammable due to unusually warm temperatures and a lack of rainfall in recent months, experts say.

January 1, 2022, 7:30 p.m. AEST By Elizabeth Chuck

Rare Brilliant December it tore through Boulder County, Colorado, with terrifying speed this week Wildfires may not be so unusual in the future, experts warn, as climate change sets the stage for many things.

Wildfires have historically not occurred in winter, especially in areas like Boulder County, where the ground is often moist from snow.

But in recent months, Colorado has experienced a severe drought. From July 1 to December 29, 2021, Denver recordits lowest rainfall drop by more than an inch, with snowfall at a record low. Meanwhile, Boulder, usually look approximately 30 inches of snow between September and December, receiving only one inch during that period prior to the date of the fire.

Combine that with an unseasonably warm fall and significantly less moisture in the ground than usual – creating the perfect conditions for a fire to grow.

“Everything is brittle,” says Keith Musselman, a snow hydrologist and research assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. “Apart from extreme drought, just days that are a degree or two warmer can really dry out the landscape a bit more, so things are drier and much more flammable.”

Officials said gusts of up to 105 mph fanned the blaze, rapidly destroying between 500 and 1,000 homes and giving residents barely time to evacuate.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/climate-change-primed-colorado-rare-december-wildfire-rcna10543

Rangers call for an end to the regulatory burning ban by early 2021.

Foresters who want more burns are prescribed to avoid future wildfire disasters in Colorado. But the State Forest Service is not allowed to conduct them

Via Michael Elizabeth Sakas January 28, 2021

Prescribed burn treatments require specific permits and weather conditions in order to be performed safely. The National Park Service review it one of the most important tools for forest health and preventing the devastation of wildfires.

That means burning piles of debris, and also burning ace lands – a procedure known as broadcast burning.

“The Colorado Forest Service doesn’t do that anymore,” Twitchell said.

Burning body

In March 2012, the Colorado State Forest Service was managing a regulated fire southeast of Conifer. The winds that come on a hot dry day, begin The Flame of the Lower North Fork. It killed three people and destroyed nearly two dozen homes.

Colorado Governor Mike Lester said the incident hurt many people — including agency employees.

“Many really good people really feel like their life’s work has been tarnished in some way,” says Lester. “And it’s not fair because they applied the techniques at a time when we thought was the right way to do it.”

Independent assessment of the fire No individual was found at fault. But victims criticized the review and wanted change. A bill has been passed, which ended the state forestry agency’s authority to regulate arson. The agency’s fire unit officers were dispatched to the Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Department.

Read more: https://www.cpr.org/2021/01/28/foresters-want-more-prescrip-burns-to-avoid-future-wildfire-disasters-in-colorado-but-the-state-forest-service- not allowed-to-do-them/

Even so, did Colorado announce a regulatory burn treatment plan late last year — or could the moratorium be part of it? Or was the ban lifted in 2021? If anyone in Colorado knows what’s going on with the regulatory burn policy, please comment below.

Prescription burns scheduled for parts of Colorado in the coming weeks

Tamera Twitty [email protected]
October 1, 2021

As fall weather hits Colorado, fire authorities in the Rio Grande National Forest and Cañon City have announced plans to conduct controlled burns annually.

Residents in these areas may see smoke for several hours each day with burns and are asked not to call emergency services.

There are many different reasons that a regulated fire might be planned, including to reduce debris that can cause wildfires, manage the landscape, and improve animal habitat.

Read more: https://www.outtherecolorado.com/news/prescribe-burns-planned-for-parts-of-colorado-in-coming-weeks/article_76e658b4-22fd-11ec-9f6e-ebda698326c0.html

CNN reported No one died in the December Colorado fire. This is a big credit to emergency responders, but Colorado is also very lucky.

Hundreds of homes were lost in December, and the fire spread quickly. In my opinion, this suggests that regulatory burn restrictions could have an impact. Even if regulated combustion were to be restarted by the end of 2021, if this were to happen, it would be very difficult to get rid of the 10-year accumulation of fuel in a few months.

Blaming climate change without mentioning Colorado’s forest management policies no one understands the situation.





Source link

news7g

News7g: Update the world's latest breaking news online of the day, breaking news, politics, society today, international mainstream news .Updated news 24/7: Entertainment, Sports...at the World everyday world. Hot news, images, video clips that are updated quickly and reliably

Related Articles

Back to top button