With rain pouring outside the Centennial Airport Thursday, Governor John Hickenlooper urged Coloradans to remain cautious about wildfires, despite recent moisture.
The Governor was briefed on the upcoming wildfire season by officials from the Taking questions from the media afterward, the governor agreed the risk for wildfires has lessened since last year. He urged residents living in the to take action now, before the 2013 fire season truly beings to threaten their property.
鈥淛ust in the last six months, and I鈥檝e been visiting somebody or in a meeting in somebody鈥檚 home and there are trees right up against their house,鈥� Hickenlooper said. 鈥淎nd they say these are the exceptions. Well, that鈥檚 all well and good, but to a certain extent they鈥檙e expecting the rest of us to pay for the scenic quality that they don鈥檛 want to take these trees down.鈥�
The governor says changes to procedures this year will help local, state and federal firefighters collaborate easier during wildfires. Paul Cooke, director of the division, says he will strategically place state resources in local communities in hopes for lower response times. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to work on it this year for fire season and see how it works,鈥� said Cooke. 鈥淎nd you know like last year we had a fire season that didn鈥檛 end, so we hope that we don鈥檛 see that again.鈥�
The has committed $11.5 million dollars throughout the Rocky Mountain region for fuel reduction and fire mitigation projects this year. Cooke says there are over 1,100 firefighters from local state and federal agencies available across Colorado to fight future fires anywhere across the state.