The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Prioritizing preparedness and resources
By Mark Reaman
Following up on last week’s story about local entities looking at early fire danger this coming summer, we received a detailed explanation of how the Gunnison National Forest makes its decisions. We also touched base with the Crested Butte Fire Protection District.
The local USFS works in conjunction with other local safety experts including Gunnison County and the Bureau of Land Management to provide clear direction when it comes to fire situations in the area. At the moment, especially after a surprisingly wet storm last week, there is no immediate move to implement a fire ban.
“We are paying close attention to the effects of this winter’s low snowpack. When snow levels are below average, conditions on the ground can dry out earlier than normal,” explained Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests public affairs officer Daniel Malta. “Because of that, we are prioritizing preparedness and multiple firefighting resources are already staged across the region to ensure an aggressive initial response to keep fires small.
“Our teams monitor weather and fuels daily, coordinate closely with our interagency partners and assess whether conditions are likely to continue, shift or improve as spring progresses,” Malta continued. “It’s still early in the fire year, but we’re preparing for a range of possibilities to ensure the public can continue enjoying their public lands safely.”
CBFPD fire chief Rob Weisbaum said safety agencies in the region met this week. “We recently wrapped up our annual operating plan meeting with members from all law enforcement agencies, BLM, DFPC (Division of Fire Prevention and Control), USFS (now known as U.S Wildland Fire Service), and fire departments,” he said. “You may be surprised to hear that despite our drought conditions, the fire potential throughout April and May are normal on the Western Slope. We see that change in June, when the wildfire potential moves above normal.”
He said the agencies have set up meeting schedules to ramp up locally to discuss current wildfire status, any incidents, and when it seems prudent to go into restrictions. “While we know and understand some feel we should already be there, the experts and predictive models don’t put us into that arena quite yet,” Weisbaum explained.
“We will be sure to communicate as the season evolves and what we are seeing. Currently, our fire danger rating is Moderate per Montrose Interagency Dispatch. We will be planning to put our Smoky the Bear signs out shortly,“ said Weisbaum.
Malta said no Forest Service decisions have been made regarding fire restrictions or changes to camping access. “We evaluate conditions continuously alongside our federal, state and county partners. When conversations about restrictions begin, they’re based on a combination of factors and not any single factor,” he said.
Those factors include things like: current and forecasted weather trends, including wind and drying patterns; how vegetation and fuels are responding as conditions change; the level of human-caused fire activity being seen in the area; regional availability of firefighting resources should a new fire occur; seasonal increases in public use, particularly around weekends or holidays; and whether conditions are expected to stay the same or worsen.
“Any decision to implement restrictions is made collaboratively and is focused on public safety,” Malta emphasized. “Restrictions are intended to inform the public about changing conditions and help reduce the likelihood of negative outcomes. If restrictions become necessary, we’ll communicate them clearly and in coordination with our partners.”
“We share the same concerns as our neighboring communities and are paying close attention to local fuels and weather conditions,” added David Carr, GMUG East Zone fire management officer. “We ask people to be careful with fire and ensure all campfires are completely extinguished. Here in Gunnison, on the East Zone of the GMUG National Forests, we are fully staffed this summer and ready.”
Not surprisingly, the USFS does expect that some visitors may begin arriving earlier this year, especially in areas where snow is melting quickly. “We welcome people to enjoy the forest, and we encourage visitors to stay alert to changing conditions. Spring winds, variable weather and drying vegetation can increase fire risk even when it still feels cool outside,” he said. “Before heading out, we strongly encourage all visitors to check local news and our forest website so they’re aware of any current alerts, closures or restrictions. Our goal is to help people recreate safely and responsibly, no matter when they choose to visit.”
Malta pushed the point that the USFS is ready for what could be an enhanced fire season. “As conditions begin changing earlier this year, we’re placing a strong emphasis on early preparedness—both for our fire personnel and for everyone spending time in the forest. We are expecting an active fire year, and multiple firefighting resources have already been operating and staged across Colorado since January to ensure we can support our forests and partner agencies with an aggressive initial attack,” he said. “Fire managers are monitoring fire activity across the region each day and positioning resources to meet immediate needs based on conditions.”
He said visitors can help reduce preventable ignitions by staying aware of weather and wind, fully extinguishing campfires, being mindful of anything that can produce heat or sparks and checking for any current alerts, closures or restrictions before traveling. Responsible, informed visitors play a critical role in preventing humancaused wildfires. “These simple steps make a meaningful difference, especially during times when warm, dry or busy conditions may persist,” Malta concluded. “They support firefighter readiness, reduce humancaused starts and help protect nearby communities and the landscapes we all care about.”
