Colorado Governor Rescinds Statewide Fire Ban
OutdoorHub Reporters 07.09.12
Following several weeks of fatal wildfires and dangerous outdoor conditions, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has lifted a statewide fire ban in effect since June 14. Hickenlooper chose to rescind the ban following the long-awaited arrival of rain and predictions of cooler and wetter weather.
In a statement, Governor Hickenlooper said that Mother Nature is finally giving the state some relief, but that this isn’t the end of the battle. “Even though the 2012 wildfire season is far from over and still challenging,” Hickenlooper said, “we believe conditions are such that local authorities and federal land managers ought to resume control over fire bans in their jurisdictions.”
The statewide lift of the ban gives individual counties jurisdiction to either lift the ban in their area or keep it in effect.
The ban was first issued on June 14 and banned open burning, including campfires, warming fires, charcoal grill fires, fused explosives and private use of fireworks, according to officials.
The worst of the string of fires, the High Park fire, was announced as 100 percent contained. In the time that it was burning, it managed to destroy nearly 260 homes and scorch 87,000 acres in northern Colorado.
The Waldo Canyon blaze is said to be 98 percent contained as of Sunday. It was one of the most destructive in Colorado history – 346 homes were destroyed in Colorado Springs and 18,000 acres burned since June 23.
Respectively, the Weber fire and Little Sand Fire were at 90 percent and 40 percent containment as of Sunday.
The total wildfires plaguing Colorado are said to be at 98 percent containment and no new fires were being monitored by the Colorado Office of Emergency Management.
The governor’s office said many counties continue to experience high fire danger, but more than 60 counties are projected to switch their status to “moderate” or “low danger” this next week. Wildfire season will continue for a few more months, during which the governor may reactivate the fire ban when necessary.
