Photo from Summit County
A fresh blanket of snow descended over Summit County early this week, and while most residents are focused on taking advantage of the fresh powder on the ski slopes or heading out in their snowshoes, others have already turned their attention to the wildfire season ahead.
As many communities continue to reckon with the impacts of Colorado’s historic wildfire season last year, Summit County officials are asking residents to plan ahead and help mitigate the risks of a major fire in the area.
“The entire effort is all about planning,” said Dan Schroder, Summit County’s CSU extension director. “… Snow continues to fall, but we also need to recall that we have not received the average expected precipitation over the last decade or more. … Even though the hillsides are white and the rivers are flowing, we don’t have as much water as we traditionally have. Drought leads to the fire season being longer, hotter and drier. … The melt is right around the corner. The future summer seems like it might be a long way away, but a few months really is very little time before … it isn’t winter anymore, and we’ve jumped into the potential for a wildfire at any time.”