2020 has been a unrefined year for everyone, although in Colorado, matters keep getting worse. Evacuations and destructions are occurring as a result of the multiple fires going on right now. 

What triggered these fires primarily? Though officials are still trying to determine what the cause was, 9news declares that the Cameron Peak, Williams Fork, and the Grizzly Creek fires were most likely caused by humans. Firefights conclude that the Pine Gulch fire was generated due to a lightning strike. 

The Cameron Peak Fire located in Larimer County, which is the third largest fire is now 30% contained thanks to the nice weather drops Colorado has received. Reporter Darren Whitehead expresses, “As of Sept. 30, the fire has burned through 125,006 acres since it began on Aug. 13.” Around 100 structures have been imparied. Just this fire by itself has nearly a thousand fire personnel battling it. Officials have remarked that it has been awkward trying to access the Comanche Reservoir to improve fire lines. Evacuations in this area have been placed to protect those who live near the fire and are being sent to a center of evacuation in the Poudre Middle School gymnasium. 

The Williams Fork Fire in Grand County is becoming a strive to be controlled. Officials have been condensing it, decreasing the spread, but the fire is only fourteen percent controlled, dropping from the original twenty-five percent. Officials say based on 9news, “The weather outlook for the foreseeable future calls for continued extreme drought conditions with weather conducive to active fire behavior, including low relative humidity, temperatures 10-20 degrees warmer-than-normal, and 20 mph winds out of the west/northwest.” Climate and time are now becoming a grand concern. Streets, trails, and campgrounds of surrounding areas have been sealed for the time being. This fire has been updated to a stage two fire importing they are constraining areas all around to help prevent the spread of the fire. By now, the Williams Fork Fire has scorched off 12,993 acres. 

Ultimately, the most immense fire of all, the Pine Gulch Fire has been 100% contained based on the saying of the Bureau of Land Management Colorado Southwest District. In Mesa this fire has been the largest fire recorded in Colorado, passing the Hayman FIre from 2002. Pine Gulch was registered as a type four, meaning that since this fire was a result of a lightning strike, tests and studies are to be conducted. 

Colorado placed a fire ban as of Aug. 18 and has been extended until Oct. 7 issued by governor Jared Polis. Grills and camp stoves are permitted but officials are doing all they can to impede the distribution of the fires.  To maintain the fires, firefighters must receive all the support and it’s our job to be cautious when dealing with fire.