Posts tagged Fourmile fire
Fourmile Canyon fire findings ready
0October 12, 2011
Preliminary findings of Fourmile Fire report to be presented Friday at open house
Boulder County, Colo. – Just days after the Fourmile Fire began in September 2010, Sen. Mark Udall requested a study of the fire similar to the one he requested after the Hayman Fire in 2002.
The preliminary findings of that study will be presented to Boulder County residents and any interested members of the public at an open house this Friday afternoon in Boulder.
What: Public open house to discuss findings presented in the preliminary report of the Fourmile Canyon Fire Assessment.
When: Friday, Oct. 14, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. A presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the assessment researchers.
Where: Commissioners’ Hearing Room, Boulder County Courthouse, third floor, 1325 Pearl St., Boulder.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Researchers will be available to answer specific questions regarding the report. Representatives from Sen. Udall’s office, Boulder County, the U.S. Forest Service, Colorado State Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management will also be available.
Background
USFS agencies collaborated with the CSFS and assembled a team to conduct the study in December 2010. The study was led by scientists with the USFS’ Rocky Mountain Research Station.
Issues on which the study focuses include the:
- Existing on-the-ground conditions and how they influenced fire behavior
- Success or failure of specific aspects of firefighting activities
- Factors that influenced how and why structures burned
- Existing science related to restoration and protocols in place to learn about recovery
-BoulderCounty.org-
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Pottery Lab will close at 5 p.m. #boulderfire, twitter bullys , Evacuations Can we go home yet
0October 29, 2010
Pottery Lab will close at 5 p.m.
The Pottery Lab will close at 5 p.m. on Friday can we go home yet?, Oct. 29, as a result of the Dome Fire burning west of Boulder:
Residents are encouraged to continue monitoring the Boulder County Emergency Management website at http://www.boulderoem.com/emergency-status for further information and evacuation updates.
Evacuations are still in effect, but a huge number of air water attacks before dark will help to ensure that the fire remains on the ground and close to extinction. There is some discussion right now as to whether resident will be allowed back in to their homes in some evac area. according to Sarah Huntley OEM media the lifting evacuations were being discussed regularly, but no decision had been made to do so as of yet. 1700 people have been evacuated in the city with over 800 units including the Senior center on Walnut. Evacuation are goes from Canyon to North Street and 7th west.
The fire has not been a catastrophic threat since early this afternoon as reported by Boulder Channel 1. With the winds calm and rigorous fire fighting efforts, the worst had passed by 1:00.
According to Sarah Huntley at OEM “ This fire is not nearly as dangerous as the Fourmile Fire where the wind were a factor. ” Our hope is the fire will settle down this evening” she said. It has not spread beyond it’s 139 acres for several hours….and we see that as a good sign. Over 29 agencies and 165 firemen are on the scene. she said. We do not need federal help for this fires Huntley said.
Huntley did say the fire has not crossed Sunshine, is not on Mt Sanitas and remains South of Sun Shine Canyon though there was a lot of smoke up on Sanitas.
Social Media in Boulder went nuts today with much gossip going on by local techies where they descended into cyber bullying. This will be the topic of a special Jann Scott Live on Boulder Channel 1 at 8:00 pm tonight. The bullying started out with young marketing women and then spread to their male counterparts. Twitter is primarily a womens social media tool has become a form of watching soap operas gone ary.
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Fourmile Fire rehabilitation and stabilization
0October 8, 2010
Boulder County, Colo. – The Fourmile Emergency Stabilization (FES) Team has completed an initial environmental assessment of the Fourmile Fire burned area. The assessment outlines the potential risks to human life and safety, and property as a result of the fire, and provides recommendation for treatments that will reduce these risks.
The team assessed the immediate threats from the wildfire impacts to soils, vegetation, hydrologic functions such as debris flow and flooding in drainages and slopes, trees, transportation infrastructure, abandoned mines, cultural resources, and wildlife.
The analysis determined that because of the increased threat of flooding and debris flows to homes and infrastructure, a watershed emergency exists. Key areas of concern include Gold Run Creek and Fourmile Creek.
It is expected that snowmelt may produce black water runoff, as ash and burned material are carried downstream, but snow typically cannot melt fast enough to generate the amount of runoff that can be produced by intense thunderstorms.
“We expect increased flood risk for several years after the fire,” said Carl Chambers, hydrologist for the team. “While snowmelt flows will be elevated, the greatest risk for damaging floods is from summer thunderstorms.”
There is also high potential for noxious weeds to encroach on the burned area and compromise the establishment of native species.
The FES team recommends emergency stabilization measures including aerial mulching, seeding, treating known noxious weed infestations, and monitoring for new weed infestations. The team also recommended channel treatments to clear debris from flood-prone channels.
Recommendations also include implementing protection and safety measures such as signage, the installation of barriers to physically stop debris flow, flood warning systems, hazard tree removal, and securing mine openings.
The estimated cost of implementing the emergency stabilization recommendations on both public and private lands is nearly $1.7 million. Boulder County will seek grants from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to implement the recommended treatments. The federal land agencies, the Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service, will apply separately for funding for rehabilitation on their lands.
Landownership remains the single most complicating factor in the emergency stabilization of the Fourmile Canyon Fire. Many of the recommendations for emergency stabilization will require treatments to occur across property boundaries – of private and publicly owned lands, and occupied and vacant lands. Boulder County will work in conjunction with NRCS to assist private landowners with treatments.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service has initiated the Emergency Watershed Protection program process for the Fourmile Fire, with Boulder County as the sponsor, to help property owners begin erosion control on their own lands.
Residents of the burned area can contact NRCS 303-776-4034 x3 for information about rehabilitation, including seeding recommendations and soil stabilization. NRCS is currently exploring potential funding sources for protection measures on private lands.
“Regardless of funding that might eventually be received, NRCS staff is available right now to help all landowners, regardless of burn severity, with soil stabilization technical information for practices like reseeding, mulching, and erosion control barriers,” said team conservationist, Boyd Byelich of NRCS.
SOURCE: BOULDER COUNTY PRESS RELEASE
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Lack of fire mitigation by home owners above Boulder SERIOUS PROBLEM
0September 19, 2010
According to Colorado Public Radio yesterday in an interview with a CU Forestry professor, the Fourmile Fire lost so many homes because home owners did not follow state and federal guidelines for tree thinning. “They wouldn’t have LOST nearly as many homes”. The national forest just west of Fourmile is properly maintained, but the mountainous sub divisions above Boulder will continue to burn as are wild fires are inevitable. Of course humans cause most wild fires in subdivisions which is all the more reason for enforced thinning in mountain communities.
Should home owners in mountainous regions above Boulder be forced to pay a penalty , tax or fine in the future for poor fire mitigation plans. ?? Should tree thinning be imposed by county in heavily populated Forrest areas ??
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NEWS: Where are all of the Donations?? Fourmile Fire victims ask. Confusion #boulderfire
0September 15, 2010
According to news reports: channel 7 says that there is no central clearing house for all the donations to victims of the Fourmile fire. Victims do not know where to look or go for all of the donation centers. Boulder County list below is sparse. Mile High United Way did not return calls, yet they are taking in much cash for fire victims. Cash is in short supply. victioms cannot find it. No one can find much needed clothes, personal effects, furniture and especially financial relief.
Boulder Channel 1 News could not find a comprehensive list of services either
Boulder County, Colo. - The official Distribution Center for the Fourmile Canyon wildfire will open on Wed., Sept. 15 at 1 p.m.
Residents in Boulder County who have been impacted by the fire are encouraged to stop by during center hours to receive items that have been donated by the community. Donated items include clothing, bedding, housewares, household items, personal hygiene items, diapers, and other donated objects that may be of use to people displaced or affected by the fire.
The Distribution Center, located in Boulder at 5395 Pearl Parkway (next to Sunbelt Rentals) will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
The county is still receiving donations of certain personal and household items at its Collection Center, located at 3111 28th St in Boulder (between Glenwood Dr. and Valmont Rd., across from the Puddle Car Wash and next to Time Warp comic & game store). The hours of the collection center are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice.
