Early Fires Keep Crews Busy
Fire season is underway in Colorado, and judging by the damage done in June alone, it could turn out to be one of the worst on record. First, a fire which began June 11 at the Royal Gorge, west of Cañon City, burned at least 3,218 acres and destroyed 48 structures.
The Royal Gorge Bridge, the world’s second highest suspension bridge, suffered some minor damage but remained intact. The fire also caused the evacuation of nearly 1,000 inmates from Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility. The blaze was fully contained by June 21 and no deaths were reported. The cause of the fire had not been determined by press time.
The Black Forest fire, northeast of Colorado Springs, also began on June 11 and is considered the worst fire in Colorado history in terms of property damage. 502 homes were lost and two people died in the fire, which consumed 16,000 acres of mostly Ponderosa pine forest. The fire was 100 percent contained by June 20. The cause of the blaze has yet to be determined.
A governor’s task force is considering the unprecedented move of limiting the construction of homes in burn zones. Among the considerations of the task force are assessed fees, tougher building codes and mandatory disclosure of wildfire risks before home sales.
Another fire, the Oxcart fire, on the south side of Poncha Pass, was started by lightning on June 6 and is being allowed to burn naturally by U.S. Forest Service officials. The Bull Gulch fire, northeast of Cotopaxi, had grown to 150 acres at press time and was expected to be contained within a few days. The 42-acre Klikus fire near La Veta led to the evacuation of 200 homes, and the West Fork Complex fire on Wolf Creek Pass has caused the complete evacuation of the town of South Fork.
Terrifying Art in Salida
For the second time this year, Salida police were put on alert after discovering works of art initially thought to be a threat. First, a poster hung on to a private building near the Salida High School depicting two brains over a pair of semi-automatic rifles caused a stir back in February. Salida artist Jimmy Descant received a summons after coming forth as the creator of the artwork.
On June 10, a suspicious item was discovered at the old city water tower behind Tenderfoot Mountain. The item was constructed of PVC tubing, faucet handles and electronic wires and was about five feet from the tower. Chaffee County sheriff’s deputies sent photos of the item to the El Paso County sheriff’s bomb squad who came to Salida to inspect it. It was determined not to be an explosive but possibly art.
Mistaken Bear Paw
The discovery by a dog of bones at a gravel pit resembling a hand-like structure was reported to the Gunnison County sheriff’s office May 26. After conducting some online research, a deputy determined the remains to be that of a bear paw.
Hill Ranch Revegetation
The revegetation project at Hill Ranch near Nathrop will continue this summer by Pueblo West, which purchased the property’s water rights with the required condition that it revegetate the land before the water rights can be used, according to The Mountain Mail.
A sterile sorghum is being planted at two test sites to help reduce the acidity of the existing soil and prepare it for planting of native seeds in the future.
Will They Be Arming Bears As Well?
After learning about a proposed “open-carry” rally as part of their annual Forth of July parade, the Westcliffe Chamber of Commerce decided to cancel the event when concerns were voiced by members of the community about the appropriateness of the willful show of arms.
This prompted a public meeting held by the town of Westcliffe on June 22 which decided to sponsor the parade and allow the armed citizens to march after all.
Shorts …
• Gunnison County has decided to discontinue the aerial spraying of mosquitoes this summer in response to environmental concerns.
• The Leadville City Council has approved a resolution creating an entertainment district downtown, allowing for a common alcohol consumption area.
• The town of Alma has filed a lawsuit against its former police chief Richard Austin Wyatt, Jr., alleging he had not turned in his badge and credentials after his termination in 2005. He was fired after serving a six-month sentence for contempt of court in a divorce case.
• Twin Lakes lost its post office June 6 due to budget cuts; residents will be driving 62 miles round-trip to Buena Vista to get their mail until a location is found for delivery boxes to be installed.
• Corey Lewenkamp, a 16-year-old junior at Custer County High School, won the inaugural ten-kilometer Hardscrabble Mountain Race with a time of 43 minutes and 39.4 seconds.
• Lake County Judge Wayne Patton was appointed to serve as Fifth Judicial District judge on June 4.
• Three homes were destroyed by fire in downtown Walsenburg May 31, and two men face five felony counts as a result.
• The City of Broomfield will host the second murder trial of Frederick Mueller, who is charged with second degree murder in the death of his wife in Hinsdale County in 2008.
• The annual Ride the Rockies event was rerouted through Westcliffe and Florence to Cañon City after U.S. Hwy. 50 was closed due to fire.
• Ron Dobson, District Wildlife Manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, is retiring at the end of June after a 34-year career.
“Notable Quotes”
“If you’ve ever seen the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, that’s what this place would be without the prison.” – Buena Vista Police Chief Jimmy Tidwell, responding to concerns about changes at the B.V. Correctional Complex. A June 20 report determined that no prisons in the state will be closed. – The Mountain Mail, June 18, 2013.
“I heard a lot of perspectives. What I did not hear is a lot of consensus. I’m looking for more consensus. Until we do I will not support this bill.” – Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado Springs) on why he currently will not support the designation of Browns Canyon as a national monument. – The Chaffee County Times, June 6, 2013.
