Now that we are leaving the driest winter on record for Colorado and setting our sights for summertime recreation in the Colorado mountains, it’s a good time to start thinking about what all this means for spending time outdoors this summer. Already, the City of Denver is draining reservoirs throughout the Rocky Mountains to reduce predicted evaporation and ensure water for the city and suburbs in our capital city. This means less water for the high country and the western slope. The forecast is not great for fire season. 

In the summer of 2020, Colorado saw some of the worst fires in recorded history in our already vulnerable forests. Though some of those fires were started by lightning strikes, many of them could have been prevented by safe fire use practices in dry conditions. The loss of property as well as the loss of life in the area is something that needs to be avoided at all costs. Untold numbers of wildlife were killed, injured, and displaced by wildfires as well. When visiting North Park, please adhere to all posted notices about fire dangers and conditions, but more importantly, there’s a lot you can do on your own to stay safe in the woods this summer.

Reorganization of National Forest Service

Fortunately, law enforcement and fire teams are not part of the budgetary constraints of the National Forest Service reorganization. However, possible downsizing of rangers in other capacities, such as forestry, research, and maintenance also mean fewer eyes on the trails and mountaintops to see signs of smoke and fire. We have to be extra diligent to prevent fires and report signs of fire—either man-made or natural—whenever possible. Call 911 to report suspicious fires or uncontrolled burns. Leave the firefighting to the pros for larger fires and get out of the area as quickly as possible to stay safe. It isn’t hard to be overwhelmed by smoke and fumes, or cut off by fire, especially in remote, wooded areas and logging roads.

A note on some fire science

Fire typically burns uphill. Not only because heat rises and pre-heats fuel, but also because flames rise upward. Fire can create its own weather too, creating windstorms which carry sparks and smoke long distances. Deadfall and dry underbrush create conditions where fire burns very hot and very fast through an area. Trees are often left standing as they burn, and dry grasses can spread fire very quickly, even from sparks and embers that have traveled long distances in the air.

Smoke itself contains flammable gases and material that can also ignite in the right conditions, as well as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide which make it impossible to breathe. These gases also are heavier than air, so do think that you could wait out a fire by being on a lake or in water. Get out of the area as quickly as possible. When driving, drive with your headlights on and at a safe speed to avoid collisions, hitting objects you can’t see in the smoke, or other travelers. 

Fire Danger (Low to Moderate)

There’s nothing better than a campfire when you are camping to set the tone for outdoor adventure. You can use it to cook, to keep warm on chilly summer nights, or to gather around with friends and family to tell stories, laugh at jokes, and stare thoughtfully into the flames. Fire has been with us since the first civilizations, and likely won’t be leaving us anytime soon. It is also something that can have dire consequences if allowed to get out of control, and unfortunately when conditions are dry, it doesn’t take much for that to happen.

Build the Best Campfire

When fire conditions are low to moderate building and maintaining a fire is a lot easier. Here are some tips and best ways to build a fire in the mountains.

1. Use an existing fire ring: There are already plenty of fire rings that have been made in campsites all over North Park. Why not just use one of them and save yourself the trouble? The best fire rings to use are iron fire rings in established camping areas.
2. Clear out the old ash and embers. To do this, first make sure the fire pit is dead cold out. Use a shovel to dig down with the depth of the pit being at least as deep as the pit is wide. Don’t throw ashes or burned wood into lakes or creeks as these make it hard for fish to live and can raise the acidity of the water.
3. Clear the area of any flammable material. Dried grasses, plants, and even wood chips or deadfall can be just what a stray spark needs to become an out of control fire. Make sure to clear at least six feet around the fire pit.
4. For firewood, gather only deadfall, or purchase bundles of firewood locally. Bringing wood in from other areas can bring in beetles or parasites into new areas, which can easily spread. (How do you think we got the beetle infestation in the first place?)
5. Use only dry firewood. Wet or green wood can smoke and sometimes explode, sending sparks into the air that might easily spread your fire.
6. Don’t use paper, tissue paper, or newspaper for kindling. When paper burns, it can easily become airborne and drift up from the firepit due to hot air, much like a hot air balloon. Use dry tinder and kindling to create a controlled burn in your firepit. Small sticks, dry pine needles, wood shavings, waxed cotton balls, or other methods work great. 
7. DON’T USE FUEL ACCELERANTS TO START CAMPFIRES: Diesel, gasoline, or campstove fuel can flare up and make it nearly impossible to put out if you make a mistake. You also have a higher chance of being burned, since the invisible fumes are usually what ignite. Fuel fumes can spread quickly and over large areas without you even noticing, until they are ignited.
8. Keep it low and controlled. Start your fire off small with kindling and tinder and gradually add larger twigs, branches, and split logs to maintain an even burn. Tall bonfires don’t burn efficiently and will send out sparks and also lots of smoke. Make sure all fuel you are burning is within the fire ring at all times.
9. NEVER LEAVE A FIRE UNATTENDED. Constantly watching your fire, stirring fuel with a firesafe stick or poker, and keeping an eye on flareups from wind gusts is part of the process. Do your part by staying with your fire until it is out. And don’t let children (or irresponsible adults) play with the campfire. Fire isn’t a toy.
10. Put it dead out. When you are done with your campfire, fill the pit with sand, dirt, and other material free from flammable material. Then douse the pit with plenty of water until it stops steaming. The burning coals from campfires can still stay hot under a layer of snow or sand for a very long time. All it takes is a gust of wind and it can become a raging campfire again.

Fires When Wild Camping

Keep fire pits small. Build fire rings out of dry stones only. River rocks and rocks that have been submerged in water can sometimes explode when heated. Dig your firepit deep and when done, saturate the pit with plenty of water, fill the hole back with dirt and cover with cold firepit stones. Practice Leave No Trace camping whenever possible. 

Campstoves

Though campfires are iconic parts of being outdoors, they are not entirely necessary to enjoy the outdoors, especially if you are low-impact or LNT camping. Portable backpacking stoves, fire pits, and campstoves in good condition often cook better, are easier to control, and don’t leave you smelling like a campfire for days. They are also a lot safer to use during dry conditions. 

High Fire Danger and Fire Bans

In high fire danger conditions, open fires are often limited to only metal campfire rings, campstoves, or BBQ grills in campgrounds. In metal grills and fire rings, charcoal briquettes are often allowed and encouraged, but take care in using these, since they often contain accelerants and can stay hot much longer than natural wood fuel. Never attempt to carry a BBQ grill or portable fire pit or transport one in a vehicle. Too many calls to North Park Fire Rescue have been a result of vehicle fires when this was attempted.

During Fire Bans, nearly ALL open flames or sparks are prohibited. This includes tiki-torches, long wick candles, citronella pots, butane stoves/lighters and in some cases even smoking. During a fire ban it might be better to pack cold sandwich makings or camp food with chemical heating packs. Make sure your vehicle is parked in areas where a hot exhaust system can’t catch dry grasses on fire. 

Never dispose of batteries, or puncture batteries or cellular phones (yes, this also means at the shooting range) since this can also result in fire due to chemical reactions. Battery fires are very difficult to put out. Including EV cars and trucks. If you drive an electric vehicle, please avoid taking it into off-road or difficult terrain. Impacts and punctures can lead to fires in very remote areas with help a long way away. Electric powered drones might also be a hazard if you accidentally crash one and it starts a fire. 

When in doubt, just don’t.

Fireworks in North Park

Don’t. Just don’t. We are all holding our breath this year to avoid a bad fire season. Most fireworks are illegal in Colorado—especially anything that leaves the ground or explodes—and all are outright banned in the State and National Forest. Save your sparklers and smoke bombs for your driveway at home. Please keep them out of our forests and fields. You won’t just be avoiding a steep fine from a Ranger or the Sheriff, you could be saving the forest.

North Park Fire Rescue

Our local fire department is made up of volunteers with generations of training and experience in fighting fires, rescuing and extracting people from vehicle accidents, and paramedic training. They work in coordination with local law enforcement and occasionally with State and National Forest Service. Our local fire department works to prevent fires through education, enforce codes and standards for buildings, and answer alarm calls for people in need.

If you need to call North Park Fire Rescue, call 911. Fire and law enforcement dispatchers will stay with you on the line, collecting information about the location of the fire, making sure you are safe, and helping assess any injuries or damage to provide to firefighters en route.

Most firefighting trucks are housed in Walden, CO with several pump trucks, wildfire rigs, and other equipment ready to go at a moment’s notice. Other areas with fire suppression equipment include Rand, Gould, and Cowdrey. The State and National Forest services also have several pump trucks, most of which are re-outfitted military trucks, ready to fight fires near their posted positions until more help can arrive.

Jackson County Airport has recently been repaved and made ready for aircraft in aerial fire suppression as well. Helicopters, water tankers, and even drones can be launched from the airport to fight fires.

Let’s Have a Safe and Fun Summer

Even though fire season will begin early and likely involve fire restrictions and bans, we can still have fun in the forests and open spaces in North Park. We just need to be a little more careful and do our part to protect our outdoors. 

A little education can go a long way to keeping everyone safe and making sure next summer and every year after that will continue to improve with the health of our forests and public lands.