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Wildfire
About Wildfire . Wildland
Urban Interface & Hazard Map
Wildfire Protection & Suppression
. Current Wildfire Information
Historical Wildfire Stats for CO
Protect Your Home, Forest and
Property from Wildfire
Fire as a Tool . Post-Fire
Rehabilitation and Restoration
Becoming a Wildland Firefighter
. Wildfire Publications . Wildfire
Links
Note: You will need Acrobat
5.0, or higher, to open the PDF files
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About Wildfire
Introduction & Fire History
Fire Ecology is the study of wildland fires and their
relationships to living and non-living things in our
environment. Fire is a vital part of a healthy forest,
especially in the west.
Many species, such as lodgepole pine, are partially
dependent on fire to spread their seeds.
Fire was used by the Native Americans to clear land,
expose enemies, and hunt game.
By the 1900s, however, damages to personal property,
farmland, livestock, wildlife, and threats to human
life resulted in Americans fearing and suppressing wildfire,
whether natural or human caused.
The great fires of 1910 burned more than three million
acres in the Northern Rockies of Idaho and Montana,
took the lives of 78 firefighters, and cost the U.S.D.A.
Forest Service more than $20 million (adjusted for inflation).
This historic event, known as “The Big Blowup,”
prompted a decision to put out forest fires as quickly
as possible. Now, almost 100 years later, fire suppression
has led to severe changes in America’s forests.
Fuel
Three components must be present before a fire can start:
oxygen, heat, and fuel. In the context of wildfires,
fuel is any living or dead material that will burn,
such as dry leaves, pine trees, fallen branches, grasses,
and even homes. A century of fire suppression has produced
dangerous accumulations of fuels, causing hotter and
more intense fires when they do eventually burn. Because
of the arrangement of these fuels, the fire travels
to the top of the forest instead of staying close to
the ground. These crown fires are extremely threatening
to soils, habitat, property, and people.
Current Management
Excessive fire suppression and fuel build-up has negative
impacts on forest health and the humans and wildlife
that inhabit the area. However, land managers and homeowners
can take preventative measures to lessen the chances
of catastrophic crown fires. These include such as clearing
dead and downed materials, thinning tree stands, and
removing other hazardous fuels. Allowing naturally occurring
fires to burn without interference, or setting a prescribed
burn can help prevent intense crown fires and maintain
a healthy forest.
See
Colorado's Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Plan, 2002 Update
(5.12 MB PDF)
"Red
Zone" Map (1.05 MB PDF)
Colorado Wildland
Urban Interface Hazard Map
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Wildland Urban Interface and Hazard Map
The Wildland Urban Interface, or WUI, is any area
where man-made improvements are built close to, or within,
natural terrain and flammable vegetation and where high
potential for wildland fire exists. Wildfires in Colorado
are a natural part of our ecosystems and help restore
and maintain healthy forests.
During the past few decades, population growth in the
interface has increased. Homes, businesses, and subdivisions
are being built in forested lands that have historically
seen regular fires, and even need them to remain healthy.
In order to preserve human life and property, firefighters
have worked hard to suppress and control fires; this
has had a negative effect on functioning ecosystems.
To help return forests to a more “natural”
state, it is important that land managers and property
owners work together. Buildings and the surrounding
property should be adapted so that, when fires burn,
firefighters can do their job safely to protect man-made
structures while still allowing fire to take its natural
course in the ecosystem. Allowing natural fires to occur
will help create a healthier forest and ultimately reduce
the risks associated with large and unmanageable fires.
Colorado WUI Hazard Map
Please click on the map below to
open up the full-sized PDF version.
Colorado
Wildland Urban Interface Hazard Assessment Methodology
(293 KB PDF)
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Wildfire Protection & Suppression
Fire Protection
Wildfire protection within Colorado cannot be accomplished
by any single agency. Cooperation and coordination between
all agencies is the key to effective suppression. Between
January and May of each year, all wildland fire agencies
(local, state, federal) in each county review their
annual operating plans. This plan outlines how wildfire
agencies work together each year. Following a standard
outline identified in the Colorado Interagency Cooperative
Fire Protection Agreement, approximately 15 elements
of cooperation are identified and processes detailed.
Utilizing a network of interagency dispatch centers,
resources are moved throughout the Rocky Mountain Area
in support of agency needs. Local, county, and state
resources participate in the total mobility concept
utilizing the dispatch centers to respond to local or
national incident needs.
State and national fire situations, fuel moisture,
and weather are monitored daily throughout the summer
fire season. This information is utilized to anticipate
fire intensity, frequency, and impact on resources should
need develop within Colorado.
Wildfire
Protection & Suppression in Colorado
(20 KB PDF)
CSFS
Wildfire Suppression Equipment (32
KB PDF)
History of Wildland Fire
Policy
Policy-making is a reflection of the public’s
perceived need for change. For much of the 20th century,
wildfire policy in the United States was “all
fires out by 10 A.M.”. This policy was instituted
in 1935, and evolved out of “The Big Blowup,”
a firestorm that wept the Northern Rockies in the
summer of 1910. During this catastrophic event, five
million acres burned and 78 firefighters were killed.
Policy about fire suppression in the United States
changed numerous times over the course of the 20th
century in response to devastating fires, public values,
forest health, and wildland urban development.
Read the CSFS Report: Wildfire
Policy in Transition: Where There's Smoke, There's...
Mirrors (29 KB PDF)
View the accompanying Presentation
on Wildfire Policy in Transition (4.96
MB PDF)
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Current Fires in Colorado
Current
Rocky Mountain Area Fires
Fire Bans & Restrictions for 2006 from the
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Daily
fire weather & danger outlook from the Rocky
Mtn. Area Coordination Center
Current
fire danger across the United States
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Historical Wildfire Statistics for
Colorado
Colorado
wildfires, state & private Lands, 1978-2005
(14 KB PDF)
History
of significant (acreage and/or home loss and/or fatalities)
fires on state and private lands
(30 KB PDF)
Average
fires per month, 1990-2003 (19
KB PDF)
Summary
of Colorado wildfires, 1988-2002
(10 KB PDF)
Colorado
wildfires broken down by decade (with charts)
(38 KB PDF)
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Protect Your Home, Forest and Property from Wildfire
Homeowners can take a number of steps to protect their
property and ensure that they do not assist in the spread
of wildland fires. This includes clearing excess fuel,
creating defensible space around their homes, and using
FireWise practices. Many Coloradoans living in the foothills
in ponderosa and lodgepole forests need to consider
the fire-prone nature of these ecosystems.
Learn more about how Protect
Your Home, Forest and Property from Wildfire.
Are you FireWise?
Have you ensured that your property is protected in
the event of a wildfire?
Have your community prepare a Community
Wildfire Protection Plan.
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Fire as a Tool
| Prescribed fire is the controlled
application of fire to the land to accomplish goals
such as clearing fuel, assisting the spread of tree
seeds, or reducing the amount of woody materials
in overcrowded and unhealthy forests. These fires
may be human-caused or naturally occurring. They
are conducted by trained management professionals
who use special fire control techniques to ensure
the safety of the burn crew, nearby residents, and
property. |
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Living, working, or recreating near an active prescribed
burn may be scary. The smoke and smell may cause some
concern for safety of property and life. But it is important
to remember that prescribed burns have been carefully
planned and are executed by highly trained professionals
who have taken into account your safety and the well
being of your property prior to initiating a burn. If
you have any concerns about whether a fire you see is
a wildfire or a prescribed fire, please contact your
local Colorado State Forest
Service office.
Benefits of a Prescribed Burn
Prescribed burns are critical in improving the health
of Colorado’s forests. Following is a list of
benefits that are gained from successfully executing
a prescribed burn.
Reduces fuel build-up
A prescribed fire may be ignited to reduce fuel build-up
that has accumulated over many years. Dead wood, overcrowded
trees, and thick layers of pine needles can all contribute
to catastrophic wildfires.
Prepare the land for new growth
The majority of the nutrients in a forest are in the
trees and shrubs, rather than in the soil. When excessive
vegetation or needle layers are burned off, these
vital nutrients are released into the soil and become
available for new plants to grow. This is an effective
way of improving the health of a forest.
Help certain plants/trees germinate
Lodgepole pine and other fire-dependant species sometimes
require fire to assist in germination or seed dispersal.
A prescribed fire can spread the seeds of these species,
thes allowing them to reproduce in ways that may not
have been possible for many years.
Naturally thins overcrowded forests
Historically, fires thinned Colorado’s forests.
Thinned forests recover faster and are more resistant
to insect and disease attacks. Currently, most of
Colorado’s mature forests are overcrowded and
will remain unhealthy unless and until land managers
intervene with prescribed fires.
Creates diversity needed by wildlife
Fire creates varied vegetation patterns, resulting
in diverse habitats for plants and animals. Wildlife
benefit from grazing on new plant growth; shrubs and
tree seedlings produce edible leaves when resprouting
after a fire.
What to expect during and after a prescribed
burn
Smoke: Fire management professionals make
great efforts to reduce smoke impacts; however, some
smoke will be unavoidable.
Smell: A campfire smell may be present for
several days after the burn.
Scorching: Some scorching of lower tree
branches is to be expected. After the fire some needles
will turn orange and eventually drop from the tree.
Weeds: Weeds commonly invade disturbed areas
and can be expected at burn sites.
Barren Look: Immediately after a burn, the
treated site may appear charred and lifeless. This
temporary condition will be replaced by the resprouting
of grasses, shrubs, forbs, and seedling trees.
Learn more about Prescribed
Burns (101 KB PDF). Also,
make sure to visit Colorado Department of Public Health
and Environment's Colorado
Smoke Managment Program Online.
To learn more about forest land management
and the role of fire in ecological processes, read Good
Fire, Bad Fire (1.17 MB PDF).
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Post-Fire Rehabilitation and Restoration
Long after the flames are out, Colorado’s land
managers and community leaders continue to grapple with
the impacts of wildfire on people and ecosystems. Since
2000, large wildland fires burned more than 700,000
acres of forests, woodlands, and grasslands across the
state.
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low severity burns, fire events can serve to eliminate
competition, rejuvenate growth, and improve watershed
conditions. But in landscapes subjected to high,
or even moderate burn severity, the post-fire
threats to public safety and natural resources
can be extreme.
Grasses sprouting in a
creek impacted by the Hayman Fire are an early
sign of post-fire recovery.
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Public and private entities invest millions of dollars
to implement emergency measures that protect people,
communities, and critical resources from post-fire events
such as flooding, erosion, mudslides, hazard trees,
and related degradation of water supplies and storage
facilities.
Learn more about post-fire
rehabilitation and restoration.
Fact Sheets
"After
the Fire" Safety Tips Factsheet (119
KB PDF)
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Becoming a Wildland Firefighter
Interested in learning how
to become a Wildland Firefighter?
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Wildfire Publications
Homeowner Wildfire Fact Sheets
Fuelbreak
Guidelines for Forested Subdivisions & Communties
(611 KB PDF)
Are You FireWise? Notebook (553 KB
PDF)
Are
You Plains FireWise? Notebook (280
KB PDF)
CWPP
Guidelines (148 KB PDF)
Home
Fire Protection (114 KB PDF)
Living
with Fire (2.07 MB PDF)
Prescribed
Fires in Colorado (102 KB PDF)
Good
Fire, Bad Fire (1.17 MB PDF)
Wildfire & Insurance (164 KB PDF)
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Wildfire Links
National Weather Service's
National Fire Weather Page
National
FireWise
Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center
National
Fire Protection Association
National
Wildfire Coordinating Group
International
Association of Fire Chiefs
Bureau
of Land Management
National
Office of Fire and Aviation
Rocky
Mountain Wildland Fire Information
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's
Colorado
Smoke Managment Program
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