Denver Post: Colorado Wildfire News

Two looters of Waldo fire home get lengthy prison sentences

Sun, 19 May 2013 18:42:30 MDT

Shane Erik Garrett and Belinda Wells-Yates, convicted of looting a house after its owners had fled the Waldo Canyon fire, were sentenced Wednesday to lengthy prison terms.

After Fern Lake fire in Rocky Mountain National Park, new life forms

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:39:51 MDT

An unprecedented post-Thanksgiving wildfire that burned through snow, frustrating firefighters as ponds froze and ice coated helicopters, has revitalized forests and meadows in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Feds: Budget cuts to make wildfire season tougher

By TODD DVORAK Associated Press — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:57:25 MDT

BOISE, Idaho—After another dry winter across much of the West, fire officials are poised for a tough wildfire season that will be even more challenging because federal budget cuts mean

Vilsack, Jewell tour fire center amid 2013 fears

The Associated Press — Mon, 13 May 2013 08:12:26 MDT

BOISE, Idaho—With another extreme Western fire season predicted, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell are visiting the National Interagency Fire

Waldo Canyon burn area weathers week of rain with no flooding

Mon, 13 May 2013 07:26:39 MDT

After a week of rains that offered the first spring test of the Waldo Canyon burn scar, no serious flooding occurred and there has been no big shifting of debris in the forest, the National Weather Service office in Pueblo told The Gazette.

Colorado wildfires: Crews prepare for worst, expect average season

Fri, 10 May 2013 08:59:12 MDT

Spring rains and snow have made it unlikely there will be a repeat of last year's wildfire season — during which six people died and about 650 homes were destroyed — but fire crews in Colorado are prepared for the worst.

Forecasters monitoring storms over Waldo Canyon

The Associated Press — Wed, 8 May 2013 21:23:53 MDT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Weather forecasters are monitoring storm cells over the Waldo Canyon burn area to see if any have the potential to produce serious flooding.

GOP Congress members plan for forest fire season

Fri, 3 May 2013 02:11:20 MDT

As the West prepares for what looks to be another long wildfire season, six Republican members of Congress are considering how states can help minimize their risks.

Mistake made handling Waldo Canyon fire report

The Associated Press — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:53:47 MDT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—A dispatcher made a mistake when she failed to relay a 911 call about a wildfire hours before it roared out of control, but no one knows if it would have made a

Board suggests $1 million compensation for 5 Colorado wildfire victims

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 11:42:33 MDT

A state board on Friday agreed to recommend payment of about $1 million to five claimants seeking compensation from the state over the Lower North Fork fire.

Colorado Senate OKs air fleet to fight fires

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:02:33 MDT

Reminded that the most destructive wildfire season in Colorado history occurred in 2012, the Senate on Wednesday gave initial approval to a proposal allowing the state to form its own air fleet to fight fires, although for the next year the effort is likely to remain in a holding pattern since it lacks funding.

Fort Collins enlists twin-rotor helicopters to fight wildfires on base

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 02:51:32 MDT

A new batch of heavy-lift, twin-rotor helicopters at Fort Carson will be used to douse wildfires on the post before they grow into wind-whipped infernos.

Feds project climate change will double wildfire risk in forests

Thu, 4 Apr 2013 08:23:09 MDT

The hotter, drier climate will transform Rocky Mountain forests, unleashing wider wildfires and insect attacks, federal scientists warn in a report for Congress and the White House.

Colorado Springs agencies praised for response to Waldo Canyon fire

By The Associated Press — Thu, 4 Apr 2013 02:12:43 MDT

A review of the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history released Wednesday found much to praise and few problems in the way that Colorado Springs agencies responded.

Report praises response to deadly Colo. wildfire

By DAN ELLIOTT Associated Press — Wed, 3 Apr 2013 14:24:10 MDT

DENVER—A review of the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history released Wednesday found much to praise and few problems in the way Colorado Springs agencies responded.

Lower North Fork fire victims accuse Colorado Attorney General of delaying payment

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 07:41:03 MDT

Victims of the Lower North Fork fire and a lawmaker who represents them on Tuesday accused Colorado Attorney General John Suthers of deliberately stalling the processing of their claims against the state for their losses.

A year later, lawmaker worries Colorado fire victims may never be compensated

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:12:10 MDT

When House Bill 1361 was signed into law by Gov. John Hickenlooper on June 4, 2012, victims of the Lower North Fork Fire hoped the time between their claims and compensation would be short.

Lower North Fork fire victims build case against Colorado

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:27:38 MDT

Exactly a year after a prescribed burn exploded into an out-of-control blaze, victims of the Lower North Fork fire are building a case against the state to prove that a pattern of gross negligence led to the deaths of three people and the loss of millions of dollars in property.

Waldo Canyon fire victim sues insurer

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:02:09 MDT

COLORADO SPRINGS — A 91-year-old Waldo Canyon fire refugee is suing over claims she was left without enough insurance coverage to rebuild her home on Mirror Lake Court because

Latest Larimer County wildfire deja vu for many Galena fire evacuees

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 23:13:28 MDT

Evacuating from the path of wildfires is becoming frighteningly familiar for residents near Lory State Park, who were also forced to leave last summer during the High Park fire.

Galena wildfire: Evacuations lifted, evacuees headed home

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 21:48:27 MDT

Homeowners evacuated by the Galena wildfire began returning to their homes at 8 p.m. Saturday, but they were told that they should be prepared to leave quickly if conditions change.

Officials lobby hard for federal dollars for fire-zone watershed fixes

Fri, 8 Mar 2013 08:17:17 MST

Thousands of acres of Colorado landscape blackened by wildfires last year are closer to getting needed repair work after the U.S. House of Representatives approved an infusion of cash to help protect against devastating erosion.

Report: Mass call systems 'underperformed' during Colorado's Waldo Canyon Fire

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:29:34 MST

The two mass call systems used for reverse emergency notifications underperformed during the Waldo Canyon fire, report released Wednesday found.

Fire watch issued for southeastern Colorado plains

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 15:44:25 MST

The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for the southeastern plains of Colorado.

Gov. John Hickenlooper lifts part of Lower North Fork fire burn ban

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:58:50 MST

Slash piles may be burned by state foresters under certain conditions, but more study will be required before Gov. John Hickenlooper is convinced to lift the ban on burns to clear forest undergrowth issued after the Lower North Fork fire last spring.

Colorado's High Park fire smoke bad enough to cause health problems

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 03:54:20 MST

During the High Park fire, air quality in Fort Collins — reputed as one of the cleanest — rivaled the pollution of some of the worst cities in the world, according to newly released data.

Disastrous wildfire era set to continue in Colorado

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:28:14 MST

Fifteen years ago, the U.S. Forest Service boldly announced a goal of eradicating hazardously overgrown forests nationwide by 2015.

4,167 Colorado wildfires caused record losses of $538 million in 2012

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 22:19:22 MST

It is official: the state's 2012 wildfire season was a doozy, with record insured losses, and the evacuation of 32,000 residents in the northwestern quadrant of Colorado Springs where 347 homes were destroyed in the Waldo Canyon Fire, the largest number in state history.

Lower North Fork Wildfire report: better notification system needed

Sat, 5 Jan 2013 01:25:06 MST

A commission reviewing the deadly Lower North Fork Wildfire has recommended a host of changes into how fires are handles, including implementing a prescribed burn program and creation of a more coordinated notification system for people in danger of a wildfire.

Larimer County High Park fire crews receive $1.9 million FEMA grant

Fri, 4 Jan 2013 23:36:38 MST

Firefighting agencies in Larimer County received a $1.9 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help shoulder the cost of battling last summer's devastating High Park fire.