(Scroll down for an important message from James Spann to anyone who is interested in important work during severe weather events.)
Colorado Governor Bill Owens was quoted saying that “All of Colorado is burning today” as the terrible Missionary Ridge Fire was spreading near Durango on this date in 2002. It seemed that every national news program showed the clip repeatedly.
A single spark from an unknown source ignited a large, fast moving fire on Missionary Ridge northeast of Durango, CO on Sunday afternoon the 9th. The fire quickly roared out of control and would go on to become the second largest wildfire in Colorado history, burning 73,145 acres. It would be the end of June before the fire would be mostly under control. One firefighter was killed by a falling tree. Fifty six homes were destroyed.
The explosive nature of the Colorado wildfires in 2002 was a result of a century of successful fire suppression symbolized by Smokey Bear. We know now that fires are a part of nature, and suppressing the natural cycle gives fires tremendous amounts of fuel that allow them to quickly explode. And explode they did. Colorado’s three major fires in the spring and summer of 2002 quickly grew to become the three largest in state’s history. Usually the high country forests never dry out enough to support a fire with a heavy snowpack that doesn’t melt until late spring and summer monsoon rains that come in time to moisten the forests by mid-summer.
But the winter snowpack that was way below normal allowed the dense forests to dry out quickly. The largely unlogged stands of ancient pine, spruce and fir that defines the high Rockies were a virtual powder keg. The Missionary Ridge fire started at 7500 feet in Gamble Oak and Ponderosa Pine and burned quickly uphill through the subalpine forest of spruce and fir, eventually burning everything in sight all the way to the timberline. Such a fire is known as a stand replacement fire, like the 1988 Yellowstone inferno that burned 1.3 million acres. Such fires are not unexpected and not ecologically inappropriate. The 2002 wildfire season was especially harsh, as 6,400,000 acres burned nationwide, twice the annual average.
Colorado Governor Bill Owens was quoted saying that “All of Colorado is burning today” as the terrible Missionary Ridge Fire was spreading near Durango on this date in 2002. It seemed that every national news program showed the clip repeatedly.
A single spark from an unknown source ignited a large, fast moving fire on Missionary Ridge northeast of Durango, CO on Sunday afternoon the 9th. The fire quickly roared out of control and would go on to become the second largest wildfire in Colorado history, burning 73,145 acres. It would be the end of June before the fire would be mostly under control. One firefighter was killed by a falling tree. Fifty six homes were destroyed.
The explosive nature of the Colorado wildfires in 2002 was a result of a century of successful fire suppression symbolized by Smokey Bear. We know now that fires are a part of nature, and suppressing the natural cycle gives fires tremendous amounts of fuel that allow them to quickly explode. And explode they did. Colorado’s three major fires in the spring and summer of 2002 quickly grew to become the three largest in state’s history. Usually the high country forests never dry out enough to support a fire with a heavy snowpack that doesn’t melt until late spring and summer monsoon rains that come in time to moisten the forests by mid-summer.
But the winter snowpack that was way below normal allowed the dense forests to dry out quickly. The largely unlogged stands of ancient pine, spruce and fir that defines the high Rockies were a virtual powder keg. The Missionary Ridge fire started at 7500 feet in Gamble Oak and Ponderosa Pine and burned quickly uphill through the subalpine forest of spruce and fir, eventually burning everything in sight all the way to the timberline. Such a fire is known as a stand replacement fire, like the 1988 Yellowstone inferno that burned 1.3 million acres. Such fires are not unexpected and not ecologically inappropriate. The 2002 wildfire season was especially harsh, as 6,400,000 acres burned nationwide, twice the annual average.