The Protect the West Act is sponsored by U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, as well as U.S. Rep. Jason Crow
Pine Gulch fire
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: As megafires menace us, tech innovation can lead to smarter firefighting
Record-breaking fires over the past decade suggest the western U.S. has entered a new era of megafires. Fire itself is not the problem – it has been characteristic of the North American West for millennia. The problem is when fires, fueled by dry and overgrown forests, grow into giant blazes that move fast, fill the […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Wildfire
Colorado is expecting another explosive wildfire year, but the state may be more prepared this time
Colorado wildfire experts are warning that conditions are setting up for wildfires as bad as last year, when the three largest forest fires on record burned for months. But this time, they think the state may be better prepared. Millions of dollars, multiple aircraft and coordinated partnerships between local, state and federal agencies are all […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Colorado wildfire season reinforces the need for mitigation and resiliency
Over 2,000 Colorado firefighters have been battling wildfires that have charred more than 430,000 acres since the beginning of the year. The Cameron Peak Fire overtook this summer’s Pine Gulch Fire as the largest in the state’s history, having burned over 200,000 acres of land thus far. Unfortunately, wildfires of this magnitude are increasingly common. […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Wildfire
Five charts that show where 2020 ranks in Colorado wildfire history
This post was updated on Oct. 23, 2020, to account for new acreage figures from still-burning fires. Back in April, fire chiefs across Colorado were so alarmed at the possibility of fighting a raging fire season this summer while also fighting a raging pandemic that they urged Gov. Jared Polis to preemptively issue a statewide […]
Posted inColoradans, News, Wildfire
Meet the Colorado helicopter medic trained to rescue wildland firefighters
GYPSUM — Don’t ask Aaron Zinser about which job he’s working. The answer gets complicated very quickly. The 37-year-old Eagle County paramedic is a firefighter who can provide medical care on the frontlines of wildfire. He’s also certified to care for patients aboard military helicopters. He’s also a search and rescue medic who deploys with […]
Posted inEnvironment, News, Wildfire
Four large wildfires burning in Colorado have cost $77 million to fight — so far
The four largest wildfires burning in Colorado have cost upwards of $77 million to fight, with more than 206,000 acres burned as of Monday morning. But despite cooler weather over the past weekend that helped firefighters make progress toward containment, there’s still a long way to go before the fire season’s tab will close out. […]
Posted inNews, Wildfire
Pine Gulch fire becomes largest in Colorado history as firefighters near full containment
The Pine Gulch fire has become the largest blaze in Colorado history, having torched more than 139,000 acres. Incident command provided an updated size for the fire near Grand Junction on Thursday night. The blaze is now larger than the 2002 Hayman fire west of Colorado Springs, which burned roughly 138,000 acres and destroyed 133 […]
Posted inCOVID, Environment, Health, News, Wildfire
Is your throat scratchy from Colorado’s wildfire smoke or coronavirus? Here’s how to tell.
The haze that’s blocking out the mountains, blue sky and even the sun across much of Colorado is full of tiny particles that are about 1/30th the width of a human hair. They’re coming from the “biomass combustion” of wildfires in Colorado and California, and they’re so small that a mask will not stop them […]
Posted inEnvironment, News, Outdoors, Water, Wildfire
Blazes in Colorado, California may be part of a climate-driven transformation of wildfires around the globe
The wildfires that exploded over the past few days in California and Colorado show clear influences of global warming, climate scientists say, and evidence of how a warming and drying climate is increasing the size and severity of fires from the California coast to the high Rocky Mountains. They may also be the latest examples […]