As things begin to dry out in Colorado, high grasses may pose wildfire threat

All along Colorado's Front Range grasses and shrubs are looking greener then ever. But those tall, healthy grasses in some areas could pose a wildfire threat in upcoming months.

"With winds that we can get, you can have a Marshall Fire anywhere in the metro area," said South Adams County Fire spokesman Alvin Lamle, referring to the December 2021 fire that spread through Boulder County and destroyed more than 1,000 houses.

As things inevitably dry out in the Centennial state after an incredible stretch of moisture that almost completely wiped out the drought, firefighting experts say it's important to take steps to keep that wildfire risk low.

For people who currently have high grasses on their properties, they stress that it should be mowed.

"It gets hotter, we get the winds come up, it dries out the growth and it becomes very susceptible to fire," said Division Chief Randall Weigum, describing the importance of wildfire mitigation.

South Adams County Fire teams typically respond to 15 to 20 brush fires a month in peak fire season. But this year, a dry July could double that number.

"We are getting ready to expect that these grass fires are going to happen," Lamle said.

Weigum says moving down grasses and weeds needs to be done to help firefighters should a wildfire break out.

"We're talking about defensible space," he said. "We're talking about mowing the weeds down around our combustible fences, around our subdivisions. Trying to get that space in there that if we do have a grass fire or wildfire, it's protected."

South Adams and other fire districts are now asking landowners, HOAs and homeowners to reduce fuels around homes and fences.