Wild weather, few burn restrictions
It wouldn’t be a Colorado spring without fire threats, a little snow and lots of wind.
Between high winds, rain showers, 80 degree sunny days and a snow storm, weather conditions in Southern Colorado the last month has been sporadic to say the least.
But for Pueblo County, these radically changing conditions have left the county to remain free from burn restrictions, unlike some of the surrounding counties.
Of the eight counties that border Pueblo, half have burn restrictions, according to the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s Fire Bans and Danger map. Those counties are El Paso, Las Animas, Custer and Lincoln.
Pueblo County largely has a grassy, dry environment, like the counties with burn restrictions, but also includes parts of U.S. National Forest land that have a very different ecological makeup.
That difference in landscape can make a difference in where there are restrictions.
“Fire restrictions are put into place in areas where the there’s prolonged periods of unusually high fire danger and severe burning conditions,” explained Ralph Bellah, the U.S. Forest Service Fire Prevention Officer for the Pike, San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron Comanche National Grasslands.
“It depends if that ‘landscape’ meets that criteria. For example, our grasslands may be in fire restrictions and the forest may not.”
Despite the recent sporadic weather conditions, the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office has not yet listed Pueblo County under any fire restrictions, though that could change depending on changing conditions in coming weeks.
In 2016 Pueblo County saw two fires in the Southern Colorado region, the Beulah Hill fire and the Junkins fire.
Conditions are constantly changing.
“The purpose of fire restrictions and closures is to protect human life and property by reducing the risk of human-caused fires during prolonged periods of unusually high fire danger and severe burning conditions. Restrictions should be considered only after all reasonable prevention measures have been taken,” Bellah said.
“When a level of restriction is no longer needed, the restrictions may go to a lower stage by implementing a new, supplemental or modified fire restrictions order; or the restrictions may be rescinded.”
The U.S. Forest Service only controls their designated land areas, but “do however work with our cooperators by having conference calls periodically to discuss fire restrictions,” according to Bellah.
County Sheriffs’ Offices are cited by the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control Department of Public Safety as the best resource for up to date fire restriction information and procedures.
For more information on local fire restrictions visit: www.sheriff.co.pueblo.co.us/esb/oem.html.
