Monday #LaPlataCo wildfire update: RED FLAG WARNING in effect, NO wildfire in La Plata County at this time

As of this post, there are no known wildfires in La Plata County. A RED FLAG WARNING has been issued for today from Noon until 9PM (details Below). Our fuels are drying out more and more the longer we go without rain. We have also been hearing of many wells and springs going dry.

The effects of a drought come in many forms. What is most evident is wildfire danger. We have clearly seen the massive smoke columns to our east over the past week and should see them as a wake up call to be proactive. We all have a role in protecting our homes, our families and our community.

The types of large fires we are seeing recently are different than have been seen in a long time. These fires move faster, burn hotter, rage at higher elevations and are more difficult to predict. The latest information from the West Fork Fire Complex is that due to the rugged terrain, fuel type, and the extreme fuel conditions firefighters can not directly fight the fire. Our forests here have little difference to those burning to our east today. Although we don't have the extent of beetle killed forests, there is enough fuel there to create a similar disaster. Even areas of the Missionary Ridge Fire have what were standing dead trees, laying like giant pick-up-sticks throughout hills.

We have been lucky that there have been few lightening strikes in our County this season. We are thankful that most of our community has taken our dry conditions seriously and haven't had a devastating accident. We are proud of our local industry and businesses taking proactive steps to manage their business safely.

Keep it up La Plata County!

What you can do to help you and your home is check out http://www.readycolorado.gov  and http://csfs.colostate.edu/pages/are-you-firewise-program.html to find ways to protect yourself from wildfire. I personally spent all weekend with my family checking our evacuation kit, mowing overgrown grass, trimming trees up from their bases, cleaning gutters of dead leaves and moving wood and other fuels away from our house. If you haven't done these things, now is the time.

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO

525 AM MDT MON JUN 24 2013

..A RED FLAG WARNING FOR MOST OF WESTERN COLORADO AND NORTHEAST UTAH FROM NOON UNTIL 9 PM MDT TODAY FOR MUCH OF THE AREA...FOR GUSTY WINDS...LOW HUMIDITY...DRY FUELS...AND HAINES INDEX OF 6...

.GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL RETURN THIS AFTERNOON AS ANOTHER DISTURBANCE BRUSHES THE REGION. THE WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND DRY FUELS FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

COZ200>203-207-290>293-UTZ482>484-486-487-242330-

/O.CON.KGJT.FW.W.0025.130624T1800Z-130625T0300Z/

LITTLE SNAKE FORECAST AREA-ROUTT FORECAST AREA- WHITE RIVER FORECAST AREA-GRAND JUNCTION FORECAST AREA- DURANGO FORECAST AREA-PARADOX VALLEY FORECAST AREA- NORTHERN SAN JUAN FORECAST AREA-NORTH FORK FORECAST AREA- GUNNISON BASIN FORECAST AREA-WESTERN UINTA BASIN- SOUTHERN ASHLEY NATIONAL FOREST-TAVAPUTS PLATEAU- EASTERN UINTA BASIN-BOOK CLIFFS-

525 AM MDT MON JUN 24 2013

..RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS...LOW HUMIDITY...AND DRY FUELS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 200...201...202...203 BELOW 9000 FEET...207 BELOW

9000 FEET...290...291 BELOW 9500 FEET...292...293 BELOW 10500 FEET...

AND ZONES 482...483...484...486 AND 487 ALL BELOW 7000 FEET...

* AFFECTED AREA...

  IN COLORADO...

  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 200 LITTLE SNAKE FORECAST AREA...

  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 201 ROUTT FORECAST AREA...

  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 202 WHITE RIVER FORECAST AREA...

  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 203 BELOW 9000 FEET GRAND JUNCTION FORECAST

       AREA...

  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 207 BELOW 9000 FEET DURANGO FORECAST AREA...

  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 290 PARADOX VALLEY FORECAST AREA...

  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 291 BELOW 9500 FEET NORTHERN SAN JUAN FORECAST

       AREA...

  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 292 NORTH FORK FORECAST AREA...

  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 293 BELOW 10500 FEET GUNNISON BASIN FORECAST

       AREA.

  IN UTAH...

  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 482 BELOW 7000 FEET WESTERN UINTA BASIN...

  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 483 BELOW 7000 FEET SOUTHERN ASHLEY NATIONAL

       FOREST...

  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 484 BELOW 7000 FEET TAVAPUTS PLATEAU...

  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 486 BELOW 7000 FEET EASTERN UINTA BASIN...

  FIRE WEATHER ZONE 487 BELOW 7000 FEET BOOK CLIFFS.

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...8 TO 13 PERCENT.

* HAINES INDEX...6 HIGH.

* IMPACTS...RAPID FIRE GROWTH ON ANY WILDFIRES OR PRESCRIBED

  BURNS AND AGRICULTURAL BURNS IS PROBABLE. OPEN BURNING IS NOT

  RECOMMENDED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND WARM TEMPERATURES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS AND AFFECTED FIELD PERSONNEL OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/GJT (ALL LOWER CASE)