As four major wildfires scorch more than 130,000 acres of Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis issued a statewide ban on open fires.
Amid hot weather and a late summer monsoon that failed to appear, many places in Colorado had already issued local bans on campfires and fireworks, and other sources of fire, like smoking on the open.
The statewide ban will be in effect for 30 days.
Polis said Tuesday that the danger is just too great and that three of the four major fires were human-caused. Watch the governor's full press conference here.
The Williams Fork fire north of Silverthorne is considered human-caused. The largest of the fires, the Pine Gulch fire north of Grand Junction, was ignited by lightning.
The cause of the other two, the Grizzly Creek and the Cameron Peak fires, are still under investigation.
Officials said that the state has spent $10.5 million on fire suppression costs so far in 2020.
- Four Wildfires Char More Than 125,000 Acres In A Hot And Dry Colorado. And There’s No Relief In Sight
- Locals Feel ‘Great Loss’ As The Grizzly Creek Fire Blisters Glenwood Canyon
- With A Forecasted Shift In The Winds, Glenwood Springs Residents Are Caught Between Hope And Dread
- When Wildfire Smoke Meets Coronavirus, It’s A ‘Real Public Health Issue’ For Colorado
- It’s Still Unclear When I-70, Closed By The Grizzly Creek Fire, Will Reopen. That’s Wreaking Havoc On Businesses
This is a developing story and will be updated.
