Colorado is at the height of wildfire season, and we’re currently grappling with four fires across the state - the Grizzly Creek Fire in Glenwood Canyon, the Pine Gulch Fire near Grand Junction, the Williams Fork Fire in Grand County, and the Cameron Peak Fire near Redfeather Lakes.
Today, the Governor joined Department of Natural Resources Director, Dan Gibbs, Executive Director of Colorado’s Department of Public Safety, Stan Hilkey, and Dr. Alexis Burkoff, Medical Epidemiologist with the Department of Public Health and Environment, for an update on efforts to stop the spread of wildfires and COVID-19 across our state.
A certified wildland firefighter for 13 years, Dan Gibbs provided a first hand account of DNR’s coordinated effort on the ground to protect our wildlife and residents.
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"Grizzly Creek Fire" Photos by Dan Gibbs |
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As of Monday, the Grizzly Creek Fire was the number one fire priority in the entire nation, and the state is receiving and deploying resources from across the country. As of Monday evening, the fire had grown to more than 25,000 acres. The top priorities are protecting residents’ homes and protecting and reopening I-70, in addition to the containment of multiple other wildfires in Western Colorado:
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The Pine Gulch Fire saw a large amount of growth last week and as of Monday evening, it is over 86,120 acres and 7% contained, making it one of the top four largest wildfires in state history.
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The Cameron Peak Fire, burning 15 miles southwest of Redfeather Lakes, started last Thursday and is burning on mostly federal land. As of August 17, the fire had burned 12,323 acres.
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The Williams Fork Fire started on Saturday and is burning 15 miles southwest of Fraser on mostly federal land. As of August 17, the fire had burned 6,627 acres with 0% containment.
Last Friday, the Governor visited Incident Command centers in Eagle and Grand Junction to meet with emergency responders working on the front lines and thank them for risking their lives to protect our communities. Our entire state is grateful for their selfless service.
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IMPACT OF WILDFIRES ON COVID-19 |
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These wildfires are placing further strain on our state at a time when we are already battling a similarly fierce and deadly foe. They are imposing yet another challenge on our local communities during what has been a very difficult year.
Wildfires are an added burden on our already-strained public health resources and testing capacity, as critical first responders are diverted and require extensive testing. Additionally, people are understandably and rightfully getting tested because poor air quality can cause COVID-like symptoms.
Wildfires also make it more difficult to be outside. This poses a challenge to our ability to manage COVID-19 because some of our most effective strategies for reducing community spread hinge upon people’s ability to socialize outside. And the smoke from the fires can make it tough to be outdoors, especially for those with underlying respiratory conditions. Group gatherings are more risky from a public health perspective when they are forced inside.
Lastly, wildfires deal a severe blow to our state’s economy, exacerbating the economic fallout inflicted by COVID-19. Many Colorado businesses are still reeling from being closed earlier this year, including the businesses along I-70 through the mountains that are now having to deal with the closure of their main thoroughfare. Deep budget cuts due to the pandemic, the millions of dollars it takes to fight wildfires, and the hundreds of millions of dollars in possible insurance losses and economic and infrastructure costs, will make our recovery that much more arduous.
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Despite these added challenges, we know that Coloradans are resilient and persevering people.
The administration is grateful for the efforts of Director Hilkey and his team at the Department of Public Safety, who have been proactively preparing for this year’s wildfire season, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, whose painstaking, dedicated, work over these past six months has enabled our state to withstand the extra strain placed on it from this wildfire season.
The Governor also expressed gratitude to the nearly 2,000 men and women who are battling fires across the state as we speak and risking their lives to protect our communities and our way of life. These local emergency management personnel and nonprofit volunteers have been working long hours around the clock to support these efforts.
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Our heroes on the front lines can only do so much. The Governor is asking all Coloradans to be extra diligent about fire safety right now, given the simultaneous burden and threat of COVID-19. Colorado is hot and dry, and something as small as a cigarette butt or a spark from a vehicle can start a fire - not to mention sources like campfires or fireworks. For those of you living in the wildland-urban interface, take the time to mitigate the threat of fire danger on your property.
Given what’s at stake, the Governor will be issuing a 30-day statewide ban on open fires, which goes into effect Thursday morning. Three of the four fires we are currently fighting are believed to be caused by human activity. We need to do everything we can to prevent new fires from starting. The ban will be in effect for all counties and prohibit all campfires, fireworks, and other open sources of ignition. Home barbecues, public grills, camp stoves, and approved covered fire pits will be permissible. Every county in Western Colorado already has this in place, with the exception of Ouray, Delta and Chaffee, but this statewide measure provides clarity of message and will reduce all of our risks.
We also can’t forget to continue the ongoing safety measures that help us battle our other crisis, COVID-19:
- Keep your distance;
- Wear a mask;
- Wash your hands frequently;
- Avoid large gatherings and crowded areas;
- Protect at-risk populations like older Coloradans and those with pre-existing health conditions;
- And get tested 7 days after you may have been exposed to COVID-19 -- or immediately if you have symptoms.
Together, we can take precautions to avoid making an already challenging situation even worse.
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