Colorado wildfire mostly contained after reaching 15,000 acres

Wildfires fed by unseasonably warm temperatures, windy conditions and powerful winds that pushed one blaze toward densely populated subdivisions of Colorado Springs on June 13 prompted the evacuation of thousands of people in the state, catastrophe modelling firm AIR Worldwide reported last week.

Wildfires broke out in the forested terrain of southern Colorado and it was reported that at least four wildfires were active across the state, notes the June 14 statement from AIR Worldwide.

“The largest of the blazes, the Black Forest fire, doubled in size from Wednesday to Thursday, growing to 15,700 acres,” Tomas Girnius, senior scientist at AIR Worldwide, said in the statement. “The fire is situated about 10 miles (16 km) east of where the Waldo Canyon Fire burned 347 homes and caused US$353 million in insurance claims last year,” Girnius added.

Local officials reported the Black Forest fire has resulted in two fatalities, destroyed almost 400 homes and spurred the evacuation of more than 38,000 residents.

As of Monday, the fires were mostly contained but crews were still battling “hot spots.” Some evacuees reportedly were able to return home. 

With powerful winds on June 13 pushing the fire toward Colorado Springs, the state’s second largest city, mandatory evacuations involved thousands of residents, the AIR Worldwide statement noted.

AIR estimates the total value of residential properties within that perimeter is close to US$500 million. “Residential construction in the Colorado Springs area is dominated by low-rise wood frame houses. Perhaps 10% to 20% have masonry exterior walls – and are, therefore, somewhat less vulnerable. The relatively few commercial buildings in the area of the fire are of more mixed construction, with wood being common for smaller commercial buildings,” Girnius noted.

Three smaller fires are burning elsewhere in the state, namely the Royal Gorge, southwest of the Black Forest fire, and the Big Meadows and Kilkus fires.

On June 14, Governor John Hickenlooper signed an Executive Order to declare a disaster emergency as a result of the Big Meadows Fire. The order authorizes $15,000 from the Disaster Emergency Fund to help pay for the use of a National Guard helicopter in the fire.

“On June 10, 2013, lightning started the Big Meadows Fire in Rocky Mountain National Park. On June 11 and 12, 2013, extreme fire weather conditions caused the fire to grow in size from less than 10 acres to over 400 acres. Due to the fire growth, firefighters are now deployed in steep, rugged terrain with limited vehicle access,” the order states.

Colorado resident on her charred neighborhood: “Everything is black. The ground, everything is just black” http://t.co/Du0Cs1Mnlu -CC

— The Associated Press (@AP) June 16, 2013

The Type II Incident Management Team assuming management of the fire requested a Colorado National Guard helicopter for rescue and/or medivac, if necessary, the order adds.

President Barack Obama last week called Governor Hickenlooper and reinforced his commitment to continue providing necessary support to the state and local efforts. More than 1,000 personnel are responding to these fires in Colorado and a National Wildland Fire Type 1 Incident Management Team has been deployed to assist with the response.

As well, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved Fire Management Assistance Grants for both the Black Forest and Royal Gorge Fires,  a statement from the White House noted.

The substantial amount of fuels on the forest floor — in the form of matted pine needles, pine cones and grasses — continues to be a major problem in attempting to contain the Black Forest fire, AIR Worldwide also said.

“Forest undergrowth fires may be fairly slow to spread, but they can be exceedingly difficult for firefighters to access and put out. In relative terms, undergrowth fires are not particularly dangerous, but if they manage to spread vertically into the canopy, they can become full-fledged crown fires,” Girnius said.

He further cautioned that “the dry conditions are not limited to Colorado; drought is currently affecting the entire western United States, and persistent hot and dry conditions, coupled with the potential of wind and lightning in some areas, have exacerbated overall fire risk.”

AIR Worldwide cited the “red flag warning” issued for El Paso County by the National Weather Service. A red flag warning means conditions exist to promote “explosive fire growth potential,” it reported.