Beaver Creek Fire Could Burn For Weeks, Possibly Months

By Jeff Todd

WALDEN, Colo. (CBS4)- The Beaver Creek Fire in Jackson County near Walden could burn for weeks if not months. The 5,400 acre fire is burning in heavy beetle kill forest.

"A lot of the areas that died 10 to 12 years ago, those trees have fallen over. They're on the ground now and that creates a whole different tactical approach for us. It makes it very difficult for our firefighters to get close to the fire. The logs stack up on each other," said Curtis Heaton the Director of Safety, Fire, and Aviation Management for the U.S. Forest Service Regional Headquarters in Lakewood.

Fire inside beetle kill trees that have been dead more than a decade are posing new problems.

The wood can burn hotter and longer than fire in live trees.

"When you're dealing with the dead and down beetle kill you're dealing with big logs, some of them very large in diameter and they generate much more heat. A human can't absorb that much heat. The heat alone will drive firefighters away," Heaton said.

Firefighters then can't get close enough or have a very difficult time cutting through the trees either with chainsaws or other heavy machinery.

PHOTO GALLERY: Beaver Creek Fire

"We have to think very carefully about where we will engage and where we will be successful with the least amount of exposure to our folks," Heaton said.

Crews in areas with heavy beetle kill have a very hard time creating fire lines, or even using hoses and water. The best tactic is usually to wait for the fire to head to other vegetation that gives them a better chance to attack.

But some beetle kill around the Beaver Creek Fire hasn't fallen to the ground yet which creates more issues for firefighters.

"Those standing dead trees fall over very easily we have to worry about them falling on top of ourselves and our equipment unfortunately we experience firefighter fatalities from that very thing. The second problem is, they become a tower to generate embers and launch what we call spot fires," Heaton said.

The best case scenario right now is for the weather to change and rain to hit the area.

Colorado and Wyoming have roughly 4.3 million acres of forest affected with beetle kill, roughly the size of New Jersey.

Fifty-one thousand acres of forest were treated by the U.S. Forest Service last year through timber sales, thinning and prescribed fire burns.

The U.S. Forest Service has these tips:

Enjoy your public lands with wildfire safety in mind. We can all make a difference in reducing human-caused fires during this summer. Here are a few tips to keep you and your loved ones safe this weekend:

• Before you go camping, check www.rmacc.info for current fire restrictions in your area.
• If you build a campfire, keep it small and clear of surrounding vegetation.
• Campfires should be no larger than necessary for cooking or personal warmth.
• Never leave your campfire unattended.
• Keep a shovel and water nearby at all times.
• To completely extinguish the campfire, drown the fire with water and stir with a shovel.
• Feel for any heat using the back of your hand.  Continue to drown and stir until the fire is completely out.
• Observe firework restrictions.

Wildfire Resources

- Visit CBSDenver.com's Living With Wildfire section.

Wildfire Photo Galleries

- See images from the most destructive wildfires (Black Forest, Waldo Canyon, High Park and Fourmile) and largest wildfire (Hayman) in Colorado history.

Jeff Todd joined the CBS4 team in 2011 covering the Western Slope in the Mountain Newsroom. Since 2015 he's been working across the Front Range in the Denver Headquarters. Follow him on Twitter @CBS4Jeff.