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Udall Tours BLM Hangar, Talks Fire Preparedness

by KREX News Room
by Cori Coffin

Story Created: Jul 3, 2012 at 7:06 PM MDT

Story Updated: Jul 3, 2012 at 9:53 PM MDT

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.- Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., was in Grand Junction Tuesday to get an update on fire preparedness on the Western Slope.

Sen. Udall toured the BLM hangar to discuss resources for mitigating wildfire threats, including tackling the Pine Ridge Fire, which is now 95 percent contained and has consumed 13,920 acres.

Fire staff has decreased to 450 and all evacuations have been lifted.

However, fire crews are still concerned about gusty, erratic and stray dry lightning. "The one thing we don't have right now is moisture. We have everything else in place, from firefighters to airplanes to awareness, but we sure could use some rain," said Udall.

"This is not a very usual year. We've had the biggest fire in Colorado history only to be trumped by the biggest fire in Colorado history a few days later," said Christopher Joyner with the BLM.

The BLM's interagency air facility houses some of the aircraft used in fighting the Pine Ridge Fire, as well as other wildfires around the state.

Multiple air tankers from Canada have been made available to dump retardant on the flames.

Planes known as smoke jumpers take crews directly to the fire, turning a multiple hour drive into minutes, depending on the area.

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