The Lewis-Arriola Volunteer Fire Department successfully suppressed two small fires last weekend and another on July 16 as rains promise both the potential of relief and the risk of lightning this week.
According to Fire Chief George Deavers, the department, which covers 235 square miles in Montezuma County, is “very concerned” that any small fires could break into something larger as the drought remains extreme in Southwest Colorado.
“We know with the conditions we’ve got to get on them quick or they can blow up on us,” Deavers said. “In our district, we haven’t gotten any rain. At my house I’ve gotten four one hundredths of an inch over the last week.”
Deavers suspected a lightning strike caused a fire Thursday evening at Goodman Point. He believed a small blaze on Saturday night north of County Road B was the result of fireworks, and Sunday evening’s fire – contained to a single tree – was caused by lightning. All fires were extinguished.
According to National Weather Service Forecaster Kris Sanders, Southwest Colorado is poised to receive rain over the next few days, which may influence the dryness of the landscape that is fire prone.
“We’re looking at daily showers and thunderstorms mainly in the afternoon and early evening. The storms could produce small hail, wind gusts up to 45 mph, pretty heavy rainfall,” Sanders said. “And that’s basically every day, until about Thursday.”
However, the projected thunderstorms don’t guarantee a drastic change in drought conditions, Sanders cautioned.
“Unfortunately, with the nature of thunderstorms, it is kind of hit or miss. You can have bone dry and then drive 5 miles and have an inch. So it's kind of hard to eliminate a drought over a large part of an area,” Sanders said.
Thunderstorms also carry with them the risk of lightning strikes, which were responsible for igniting the three fires that joined into the Ferris Fire northwest of Dolores.
“Anytime you have thunderstorms, those are going to produce lightning, and so that's certainly risky,” Sanders said.
Deavers said his department is well-staffed, with anywhere from 10 to 25 volunteers available at a given time. The department has five brush trucks, four structure engines, two technical rescue trucks and four tankers – and he is on high alert.
Just be very cautious of what you’re doing,” he warned, urging residents to abstain from setting off fireworks and keep an extinguisher handy if engaging in activities that ignite sparks like welding.
avanderveen@the-journal.com
