Montezuma County has been under red flag warnings for several days in the past week. The National Weather Service in Grand Junction has issued such warnings for much of Southwest Colorado, with concerns about high wind speeds and low relative humidity.
The Journal spoke with Tavis Anderson, the wildland coordinator for Cortez Fire Protection District, about concerns and predictions for the remainder of summer.
Anderson said that Cortez has had five or six brush fires in their district this summer, and three to four lightning strikes that ignited fires. He didn’t have any specific predictions at the time, but did say that fuels are starting to dry up, making them more ignitable. He also expects that monsoons will come later this month.
Areas of concern for Cortez include down County Road G, south of Cortez and near Phil’s World, east of Cortez. Other areas of concern in Montezuma County include Goodman Point, north of Cortez and Boggy Draw, north of Dolores.
Anderson said that the National Weather Service is the most accurate weather provider to predict fire conditions.
“Most brush fires we have have been controlled burns getting out of control,” Anderson told a Journal reporter. He cautioned that winds can pick up quickly, which could cause fires to spread quickly.
Cory Elliot, battalion chief of Cortez Fire Protection District, also shared some tips to avoid brush fires. He said it is important to watch the weather conditions if starting a controlled burn. Call Cortez Dispatch to let them know of the controlled burn, and burn things in small piles with a reliable water source close by.
“Call early if it’s going to get away from you,” Elliot said.
Anderson said the size of the fire determines how many units respond, but two engines respond first. If the fire is too large for their resources, other fire districts in the county will be called for mutual aid. If the area has little water supply, responders will request a tender; otherwise, they request an engine for manpower. For Cortez Fire Protection District, the cost also varies depending on how many members they have responding, but each truck costs about $100 per hour.
Anderson has also been working on prescribed burns in the area. He told a Journal reporter that there are often concerns about agencies putting fire on the ground.
“We are fully liable for anything that gets out of our capabilities,” Anderson said. They are diligent about checking weather and take every precaution to ensure the prescribed burns remain controlled.
There is a weather window that is ideal for doing a prescribed burn, Anderson said. Relative humidity and wind speeds need to be in a specific range to start a burn. Local agencies do their best to keep their weather window aligned with that of the U.S. Forest Service.
“We write an extensive burn plan,” Anderson stated. This burn plan helps the agency in charge of the prescribed burn mitigate the risks associated with setting a fire of this nature.
Montezuma County has had multiple red flag warnings in place in the last week, and they are likely to continue. A red flag warning indicates that “conditions are highly unfavorable for prescribed burns,” and wildfires may grow quickly, according to the National Weather Service’s website. Fires that are contained in a fire pit and covered with a metal screen are allowed, but burning slash piles or having open flames are prohibited during a red flag warning.
U.S. Drought Monitor shows that the majority of Colorado has no drought, as of late June. This is a major improvement from last year, when Montezuma County was in extreme drought at the end of June. It is important to still exercise caution when burning, as fuels are starting to dry out as temperatures rise and relative humidity stays low.
