Conditions ripe for wildfire
6 citations issues since restrictions established last week
Monday, July 28, 2003
Steamboat Springs — Despite brief rain showers, conditions are ripe for fires in Routt County, emergency officials said.
"We are having daily fire occurrences from lightning (in Northwest Colorado)," said Chuck Vale, the director of Routt County emergency services. "The luck is we haven't had any in Routt County. I don't know why. There was a terrible amount of lightning Saturday night."
On July 21, the Routt County commissioners approved fire restrictions on all private and state lands. The U.S. Forest Service put restrictions in place for the Medicine Bow Routt National Forests on the same day.
If an illegal campfire gets out of control and starts a wildland fire, the culprits are responsible for the cost of fighting the fire and rehabilitating the land that was damaged. Ritschard said. That cost could be more than $100,000.
Fires around the state, such as the 325-acre fire 25 miles southeast of Meeker, have tied up the state's resources, firefighters, equipment and aircraft, Ritschard said.
"If we have a major wildland fire, it will probably be difficult to get the resources right now," she said.
To reach Christine Metz call 871-4229
or e-mail cmetz@steamboatpilot.com
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