COLORADO SPRINGS — It is only mid-April and Southern Colorado firefighters have been dispatched to multiple wildfires over multiple days.
Most of the wildfires have started mid to late afternoon with “red flag” conditions and more than not have been right next to roads.
The afternoon starts are not a coincidence. On warm spring days, humidity drops as temperatures rise through the day.
It makes dead vegetation leftover from winter, even drier. With the addition of wind, the odds of a fire starting increase.
"That's why we're in a heightened state of awareness right now,” said Colorado Springs Fire Marshal, Brett Lacey.
Fires along roads are also common. Drivers traveling on pavement or dirt roads can underestimate wildfire risk at the edge of the road.
This time of year, it is prime for burning. “It's because of people's typically careless behavior,” said Lacey.
Cigarette butts should never be tossed from vehicles, yet they are easily found when stopping along roads.
“If they [law enforcement] see you disposing of a cigarette and we have a fire that starts as a result of that, you are responsible for the firing of fields and prairies,” said Lacey, “And that can be an exceptionally stiff fine, as well as jail time.”
Drivers are also responsible if a spark from their vehicle starts a fire. The fire that temporarily closed I-25 earlier in the week had multiple ignition points which indicate sparks.
Sparks can be the result of a mechanical failure in an engine or brakes. More common is metal, like a fender or chain dragging on the ground.
“Basically, pieces of metal just like on a grinding wheel that will take off…. and it’s actually a little ball of molten metal that flies off and ends up in the grass,” said Lacey.
All it takes is a little wind for sparks to flare up into flames and turn into a wildfire. The Fire Marshal asks for extra caution on roads when there are heightened wildfire warnings.
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