|
|
|
According to the National Fire Protection Association, a wildfire is "an unwanted, non-beneficial fire that rapidly spreads on hillsides and in valleys, prairies or forests. Wildfires are a threat to homes, particularly those located in wildland settings near forests, in rural areas, and in the mountains."
These links below help to explain how wildfires happen and what can be done to combat them once they do. Several also provide important information if a wildfire is threatening your community. Email website@cbs4denver.com with any questions or suggestions about this page.
Find statewide fire restriction information, situation reports, wildfire awareness information, a fire danger map, red flag warnings from the National Weather Service and tips for evacuees on the Colorado Division of Emergency Management Web site.
The National Interagency Fire Center has several important sections of their Web site relating to wildfires. Find descriptions and statistics on current fires on their Current Wildland Fire Information page. The Rocky Mountain Coordination Center section has a page that has links to all of Colorado's different "hotshot" and "smokejumper" wildfire crews. It also explains how the National Fire Danger Rating System works.
The U.S. Fire Administration Web site provides site visitors with a brochure that outlines steps homeowners can take to protect their homes when wildfires are threatening them. The site also offers safety guidelines for firefighting crews.
The Fire and Aviation Management section of the U.S. Forest Service Web site lists all current, active large wildfires in the country and also has dozens of links that help citizens understand how national wildfire management works. Included is the official national wildland fire policy and a description of the different kinds of wildfire teams that get dispatched to fires, among many, many other resources.
Colorado State Forest Service, the lead state agency for wildland fire, is an agency of Colorado State University. According to fire division supervisor Richard Homann, the agency "provides outreach and service to federal, state, county, and local governments and also to individual landowners and the general public. Wildfire information on the CSFS Web site includes information about fire prevention, hazard fuel mitigation, defensible space and Community Wildfire Prevention Plans."
The Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination Group or GeoMAC, is an Internet-based mapping application that allows people to access online maps of current fire locations and perimeters across the country. Visit the GeoMAC Web site.
The Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Web site has extensive information on how best to landscape with fire safety in mind. Included is information on creating wildfire-defensible space on your property and putting in fire-resistant landscaping and grass seed mixes to reduce wildfire hazards.
Colorado's largest wildfire in recorded history started on June 8, 2002, and 5 years later many homeowners in mountain communities haven't taken action after the warnings that followed the Hayman Fire.
Story: Residents Have Done Little In 5 Years Since Hayman Story: Some Homeowners Rebuild, Plant Trees
Slideshow: Hayman Wildfire -- 5 Years Ago
Nearly three dozen wildfire-fighting aircraft are ready to respond when new fires in the state of Colorado ignite. Pilot Dale Dahl showed a CBS4 around the cockpit of his Neptune PTV, the "Harley Davidson of air tankers." Watch the complete interview and video.
Children can learn more about wildfires on a special section of the National Fire Protection Association Web site. A Web site called Wildlandfire.com also has much more for parents interested in teaching their children about wildfires, wildfire safety or other aspects of wildfires. Smokey the Bear, who has spread the message that "Remember ... Only YOU Prevent Wildfires!" for six decades, also has his own Web site.
The national Firewise Communities program Web site details three Colorado communities' wildfire mitigation efforts. Read profiles of Genesee, Perry Park and Windcliff.
READYColorado.com is designed to help every Coloradan become prepared to respond to and recover from a wide array of disasters ... both natural and human-caused. Visit the READYColorado.com Web site for more information.
The American Red Cross can be found at most fires that cause evacuations. The organization provides relief and supplies to weary firefighters and often provides shelter for families displaced by fires. Visit the official news site of the American Red Cross.
To view the latest highway closures in Colorado due to wildfires, visit the Colorado Department of Transportation Web site. When you're there, click on "Road Conditions" under the Travel Information header. (This listing includes only major highways, interstates and state highways that are affected by the wildfires. This list does not include various county roads, local roads and forest roads that might be closed in immediate wildfire areas.)
Colorado County and City Emergency Managers & Sheriffs Main Page Adams County Office of Emergency Management Arapahoe County Office of Emergency Management Boulder County Emergency Management Broomfield County Emergency Management Clear Creek County Office of Emergency Management Douglas County Emergency Management Eagle County Emergency Management El Paso County Office of Emergency Management Grand County Office of Emergency Management Jefferson County Emergency Management Larimer County Emergency Management Office Pitkin County Emergency Management Pueblo County Department of Emergency Management Routt County Office of Emergency Management Summit County Sheriff's Office Teller County Office of Emergency Management Weld County Office of Emergency Management
