Fire Season Starts Early in Colorado
B. McPherson Two people are confirmed dead and another is missing as firefighters from Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Utah battle a 4 500 acre fire near Denver. The fire believed to have started from a controlled burn has destroyed 28 dwellings and forced evacuation of 900 more. According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) fire season in Colorado is normally May to September. Controlled burns are conducted to deny a forest fire fuel. “Annually, the BLM completes about 15,000 acres of fuels reduction projects in the state. Colorado focuses its fuels reduction efforts on areas near communities known as the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).” BLM While many might jump to the conclusion that this early start to the fire season is a result of climate change, it may not be. It may be the end of a La Nina weather pattern that caused the mild, dry winter. The National Interagency Fire Centre in Boise Idaho keeps year to year statistics on wildfires throu...