Posted inEnvironment, News, Wildfire

Colorado prison inmates fight wildfires while they’re serving time, but can’t get hired when they get out

For $12 a day, Colorado prison inmates trained to fight wildfires stand alongside the state’s seasonal fire crews, battling some of the state’s most devastating wildfires.  Through a Colorado Department of Corrections program, members of the State Wildland Inmate Fire Team receive the same training as the state’s seasonal fire crews and have hands-on experience […]

Posted inCOVID, Environment, Health, News, Outdoors, Politics and Government

Warnings are working (for now) to keep visitors out of Colorado’s high country. But tickets, legal battles loom.

Police in Colorado’s mountain communities are doing a lot of educating and even issuing written warnings to violators of local and state health orders designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus.  But if mask mandates, closures, restrictions and locals-only access rules linger for months, warnings will soon turn to tickets. And that worries Western […]

Posted inEnvironment, News, Outdoors, Wildfire

Colorado’s fire season is expected to rate below average this year. But these days, below average is still hardcore.

Colorado wildfire experts are predicting a slightly-below-average fire season, thanks to high snowpack, decent moisture and lower temperatures forecast throughout the summer and fall. But, to put that in perspective, below-average for Colorado means about 6,000 wildfires and more than 100,000 acres burned. “While we appear to have a little quieter fire season ahead of […]