Fire danger forces major forest to close
It is the first full closure of a national forest in Colorado since 2002
Extreme fire danger prompted officials to shut down a sprawling forest that includes some of Colorado’s most stunning mountains in a region that attracts tourists from around the world, a rare tactic also being used in neighbouring states as the US Southwest struggles with severe drought.
National forests and parks in Arizona and New Mexico have already been shut down as precautions.
San Juan National Forest officials in southwestern Colorado planned to close hundreds of kilometres of trails and thousands of kilometres of back roads to hikers, bikers, horseback riders and campers starting yesterday to prevent the possibility of an abandoned campfire or any other spark from starting a wildfire. It’s the first full closure of a national forest in Colorado since 2002, which was another very dry year.
The closure will remain until sufficient precipitation eases the fire danger.
The move comes as the residents of more than 2,000 homes have been forced to evacuate because of a fire that started June 1 in the forest and spread to about 91 square kilometres as of Monday. Authorities are still investigating how the fire started.
No homes have been lost although the fire came close to buildings Sunday night, authorities said. Fire managers credited advance fire mitigation work by homeowners for helping firefighters save the structures.
The move comes as the residents of more than 2,000 homes have been forced to evacuate because of a fire that started on June 1 in the forest.
Experiencing drought
Much of the US West is experiencing some level of drought and the Four Corners region — where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado meet — is at the Centre of a large patch of exceptional drought.
In New Mexico, the Santa Fe National Forest, along with portions of three national park sites, closed on June 1 because of the fire danger. The Santa Fe forest is among New Mexico’s most popular getaways.
The US Forest Service also is planning to bar recreation in a handful of ranger districts in the Cibola National Forest beginning on Friday.