Colorado is on fire

Not only was the spring dry, leading to this, it was warm to hot as well. I don't ever remember such hot and dry stretch like this in Colorado. Spring is usually my least favorite season because of how wet/snowy it is and the temps are all over the place. It seemed like once March hit it was 70s and 80s and hotter every day leading up to this current heat wave. It's been a recipe for disaster.

 

Yes, this is a very natural process, but we are in the way of it right now. If anyone has ever done a controlled burn on a field, this is the same thing but on a much, much larger scale.

 

My part of the Midwest is an absolute tinderbox right now. But the grace of God, etc. ...

 

The interstate medians are just waiting for the next cigarette butt to explode in flames here. With July 4 looming, I'm sure we'll see dozens of grass fires.

 

Unfortunately, if they do come, won't that create another disaster issue - mud slides? Mountains denuded of plants plus monsoons is not a promising formula.

 

There have been years in Colorado where you could have gone skiing in late June, not at Vail, but at Loveland Pass or Arapahoe Basin.

This year is nothing even close to what is typical in Colorado.

 

Thankfully, the fireworks industry is respectful of burn bans being put in place to ensure more fires don't happen.

Oh, wait, it isn't.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20120626/NEWS/120626026/State-law-puts-counties-quandary-fireworks-restrictions

... Amid pressure from Indiana’s commercial fireworks dealers, state lawmakers in 2006 approved a law making it legal for Hoosiers to shoot off fireworks from June 29 to July 9, even in areas under open burn bans, like the ones currently issued by more than two-thirds of the state’s counties.

This summer, at least 10 Indiana counties also have explicitly banned fireworks until further notice. The trickier decision, though, is whether to extend those restrictions past Friday and, thus, into the time period protected by law.

... Indiana State Fire Marshal Jim Greeson said some counties have issued their fireworks bans in conjunction with emergency drought disaster declarations. Such a declaration, officials hope, will override the state fireworks laws.

Greeson said no one has yet challenged one of the local bans in court.

That might change.

John Brooke, the Muncie-based general counsel of the Indiana Fireworks Dealers Association, said the trade group is considering asking a judge for an injunction that would halt the ban.

 

Helena, Mt., is also on fire.

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20120626/NEWS01/120626012/Cascade-County-firefighters-headed-back-Helena-s-Corral-fire?odyssey=nav|head&nclick_check=1

 

Also, if you do a Google News search for July 4 fireworks canceled, you'll see a lot of communities are putting them off because of the insanely dry weather.

 

In Utah, more than 20 wildfires have been started by recreational shooters. Yet a state law bars any agency from enacting any measure that would restrict gun rights in any way, so people are free to keep on shooting.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-utah-shooters-spark-gunrights-controversy-20120624,0,1924086.story

Story says Utah is one of three states with such a law. The others are North Carolina and ... Colorado.