Colorado officials warn 2022 could be the worst wildfire year in state history
An additional $20 million in funding will help prepare the state in its firefighting efforts, officials said Friday during a presentation on this year’s wildfire outlook
The Colorado Sun
Colorado will pour an additional $20 million in federal funding into firefighting and prevention initiatives ahead of what officials say could be the worst wildfire season in the state’s history.
Above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation are predicted across the state through June, thrusting many parts of Colorado into more severe drought conditions and placing more of the state at risk, officials said during a presentation Friday on this year’s wildfire outlook.
Monsoonal moisture could bring reprieve to the Western Slope in June, but current forecasts predict extreme drought conditions for the Front Range through July, Mike Morgan, director of Colorado’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control said.
Ahead of what could be a devastating wildfire season, Colorado’s strategy to fight fires involves early detection and aggressive initial attack, Morgan said.
The funding will help the state grow its firefighting fleet for the 2022 wildfire season and implement a statewide dispatch center.
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“Get the support to the local firefighters on the ground to keep these fires from getting named and becoming multi-day or multi-month events. That is our strategy,” Morgan said.
Read more via The Colorado Sun.
