Official Thread for all 2012 Colorado Fire Season Topics (Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs: stats, air pollution)

[Neditate]

Originally Posted by wanneroo

After all the drama 2 months ago, fire season petered out.

Thank goodness! But don't be so sure about that. No matter how much rain we received in July, all it takes is a few more hot dry days and wind to start it up again. Grasses and light flashy fuels dry out relatively quickly and pose the greatest threat to rapid fire spread.
There were 2 lightning strike fires in my area recently. Thankfully they were reported quickly and extinguished. Hopefully everyone remains vigilant especially now that fire bans have been rescinded.

In 2010 we had a very wet June and July. In August there was nary a drop of rain. In September - Labor Day weekend - the Four Mile fire started. Shortly after that, the Dome Fire and a small fire near Nederland - a mile from my house. The only reason it was small is that resources were nearby working on Four Mile.

[MtnJam]

Amen to that! We're also supposed to be leaving the La Nina weather pattern and head into an El Nino phase by winter.
Bring it!

[Neditate]

Another lightning sparked fire tonight Crews responding to small, lightning-sparked fire in Fourmile Canyon - Boulder Daily Camera

[DOUBLE H]

And on this mornings news on Grand Junction's NBC affiliate- KKCO, they have reported a fire eight miles west of Gunnison. Named the East Coal Creek fire, it apparently started early Saturday morning and is up to 100 acres. It's on forest service land and was caused by lightning.

[DOUBLE H]

Well, this thread isn't going to be retired for the season. Not yet anyway.

KREX, the Grand Junction CBS affiliate reports another fire near Red Feather Lakes in north central Colorado, a few miles south of the Wyoming/Colorado border. Cause is unknown.

250 acres burned
10% containment
100 firefighters involved

[Idunn]

Apparently this new Colorado wildfire near Wyoming is called the Roach Fire.

Location is northeast of Walden, three miles from the Wyoming border. The closest town would appear to be Jelm, WY. Nearest road would be CO RD 173. It passes just to the east of the Hohnholtz Lakes, the wildfire being northwest of there.

It is reported that this area has experienced something like 50 to 70% lodgepole tree mortality from the mountain pine beetle, being a contributing factor in this wildfire. If one drives up CO 14 along the Cache la Poudre River the first signs from even the head of the canyon is how that recent very large wildfire came in places right to the edge of the plains. That wrought by this fire is evident for a good distance west up the canyon, with areas often burned on both sides of this road and large river. Roughly two-thirds of the way to Cameron Pass one leaves the last signs of this wildfire, but will then notice in varying degrees trees affected by the mountain pine beetle. It is an ongoing problem.

For the better part of this month the Front Range, at least north of Denver, has been appreciably hazy. News reports have this due smoke blowing in from the many wildfires presently burning throughout the West. Surely a good deal of truth to this. Although even if less than the usual clear and blue skies in the mountains, still often better than on the plains.

[CosmicWizard]

Double H wrote: Well, this thread isn't going to be retired for the season. Not yet anyway.

Perhaps we can take solace in the fact that there are only 124 days remaining until the coming of 2013, when due to the '2012' contained in the title of this thread, it will no longer be relevant. The way things are going, we'll have to start a new thread for 2013 on January first.

[Neditate]

The fire ban was reinstated in western Boulder county starting Friday at noon. There was a small (fortunately) grass fire north of Nederland on Friday - unattended campfire.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by DOUBLE H

Well, this thread isn't going to be retired for the season. Not yet anyway....

We'll probably lock it when the snow flies....at which time we'll start the winter threads... snow... avalanche... skiing... snowpack.... jackknifed semis on Vail Pass in a sudden snowfall on the first day of Fall... all the usual suspects...er, I mean all the usual subjects....


Thinking ahead....

[DOUBLE H]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

We'll probably lock it when the snow flies....at which time we'll start the winter threads... snow... avalanche... skiing... snowpack.... jackknifed semis on Vail Pass in a sudden snowfall on the first day of Fall... all the usual suspects...er, I mean all the usual subjects....


Thinking ahead....

Speaking of thinking ahead, I think I'll do all my Bronco road trips this Fall over U.S. highway 50 over Monarch Pass and come up on 115 to the Springs. Had a couple close calls last season on Vail!