The Little Devil Fire is now estimated at 10 acres, burning in a remote and rugged area of the San Juan National Forest about three miles north of the intersection of U.S. Highway 160 and Colorado State Highway 151 between Pagosa Springs and Bayfield, Colorado..
— August 19 afternoon press release from the Durango Dispatch Center
I can’t recall so green a summer. Rain has been blessing the meadows and forests of southwest Colorado all through the spring and summer… the pine trees are bursting with fresh, green cones, the grasses with healthy sprays of grain.
Not all the American West has seen the same kind of plentiful precipitation this year, however. Last May, the state of Washington declared a drought emergency. In his declaration, Washington’s Governor Jay Islee stated:
“We’re really starting to feel the pain from this snowpack drought. Impacts are already severe in several areas of the state. Difficult decisions are being made about what crops get priority water and how best to save fish.”
Sectors that rely heavily on melting snowpack, like agriculture and wildlife, were expected to be hit hardest by the drought, with the Washington Department of Agriculture anticipating $1.2 billion in crop losses this year. Statewide, snowpack levels were 16 percent of normal.
We received a press release yesterday from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, that reads, in part:
“This year, we are experiencing yet another devastating wildfire season, particularly in the drought-ravaged West. Climate change, drought, fuel buildup, insects and disease are increasing the severity of unprecedented wildfire in America’s forests and rangelands, which impacts the safety of people, homes and communities…
“USDA works closely with the Department of Interior and Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, along with other partners, to deploy the workforce, equipment, and interagency coordination necessary to respond safely and effectively to increasingly severe wildfire seasons. We are expending in excess of $150 million per week on fire suppression activities, and that will likely grow in the days and weeks ahead…
“One of our most critical assets in this fight is the courageous firefighters who work on the front lines. There are more firefighters on the ground today fighting fires than at any time in the nation’s history… While we do everything we can to reduce risk and ensure their safety, our firefighting personnel have been particularly hard hit this year. We’ve now lost seven precious lives over the course of this fire season, including three firefighters who perished just yesterday in Washington, and many more have been injured in the line of duty. We mourn for those lost, offer support to their families and loved ones, and pray for the continued recovery of those injured…”
More than 100 wildfires were burning in Washington state on Thursday, a day after three firefighters were killed while fighting the Twisp Fire in Okanogan County.
“I want to say this is an unprecedented cataclysm in our state,” reported Governor Inslee. “There are 390,000 acres burning. Last year was bad with 250,000 acres.”
Wednesday afternoon, we got a press release from Ann Bond, with the Durango Dispatch Center, regarding a relatively small, lightning-caused wildfire burning near Chimney Rock National Monument.
“The Little Devil Fire is now estimated at 10 acres, burning in a remote and rugged area of the San Juan National Forest about three miles north of the intersection of U.S. Highway 160 and Colorado State Highway 151 between Pagosa Springs and Bayfield, Colorado. No structures are threatened, and no areas, roads or trails have been closed. Air support and ground crews are actively working the fire, and more support has been ordered. Crews are establishing safety zones and a medivac clearing to assure firefighter safety. Smoke is visible from U.S. Highway 160 and nearby areas…”
24 hours later, the fire had grown a big larger, due in part to warm, gusty winds.
“The Little Devil Fire has grown to an estimated 70 acres. The heavy air tanker from Boise, Idaho, is unfortunately grounded at the Durango Air Tanker Base due to wind; however, the state single-engine air tankers and Type 3 helicopter have been able to work the fire this afternoon. On the ground currently are two 20-person crews, a local Pagosa District crew and eight smoke jumpers. Another 20-person crew is in route, and a hotshot crew is expected to arrive tonight.
“Forest Road #627, Devil Mountain Road, and Forest Road #626, which accesses the Devil Creek State Wildlife Area, are closed.. Smoke is visible from U.S. Highway 160 and nearby areas. No structures are threatened. The weather forecast calls for hot, dry conditions to continue, at least until the weekend.”
By 7:40pm, there were 73 people and four aircraft working the fire.
About that time, I was sitting in the Council Chambers at Town Hall, listening to Firewise coordinator Bill Trimarco. He was discussing how we might work together, as a community, to lessen the danger from wildfire.