|
As fires continue to grow in Colorado, scientists are "mind-boggled" by their size and timing. The East Troublesome Fire has now burned 170,000 acres, forcing hundreds to evacuate and closing Rocky Mountain National Park. Starting Wednesday night, the fire gained 100,000 acres in just 24 hours.
A blaze of this size burning at an elevation of 9,000 feet in late October is unprecedented. “This is not normal,” said Becky Bolinger, Assistant State Climatologist at Colorado State University. The fire burned above treeline, crossing over the continental divide in Rocky Mountain National Park which acts as a natural fire break under normal conditions.
The East Troublesome Fire is now Colorado's second biggest fire in history, behind the Cameron Peak Fire which is still burning in the northern part of the state. Climate change has created a perfect storm for catastrophic wildfires in Colorado. Drought, warming-induced bark beetle infestations, and lack of snowpack are just some of the factors that contribute to three of the top five wildfires in Colorado's history occurring this year.
|
I think it’s fair to say the Trump administration’s policies aim at nothing less than a complete upending of many decades of bipartisan policy making concerning public lands.”
