State grappling with shortage of firefighters, foresters as the wildfire risk escalates

A legislative committee charged with addressing the state's growing wildfire risk took up everything from the cost of wildfires to a shortage of firefighters.

Lawmakers allocated tens of millions of dollars last session for, among other things, a new Fire Hawk helicopter, statewide dispatch center and mitigation programs, but it's not enough.

The Wildfire Matters Interim Committee met at the Capitol Wednesday to hear from, among others, the Director of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, Mike Morgan, "We all know it's getting worse, longer fire seasons. The future does not look bright."

Morgan says wildfire suppression alone is now costing the state $20 million on average every year, "If you look at the stats, it becomes mindboggling."

Morgan says Colorado's lack of a state fire code has cost it federal grant dollars. He's working on the first-ever statewide community risk profile. Just as the state requires homes built for certain snow loads and wind shear based on their risk, he says, it could require homes be built according to their wildfire risk. If the state doesn't require it, insurers may. It's estimated the Marshall Fire will cost more than $2 billion.

Carol Walker with the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association says Colorado insurers are at a tipping point, "As we see costs escalate and claims go through the roof, how do we make sure we're keeping the private insurance market here."

Money is one part of the wildfire response equation; manpower is another. Colorado State Forester Matt McCombs is sounding an alarm as he struggles to find foresters, "I'm recruiting everywhere I go."

An executive order signed by Governor Polis Wednesday could help. It provides 5 days of paid leave for any state employee who wants to do volunteer firefighting, "When they step up to dedicate time to protect their communities, they need to know their employer — the State of Colorado — has their back." He challenged private employers to follow his lead. 

While the state does its part, Morgan says we need to do ours. He has a warning for those who think the Marshall Fire was a fluke, "There are a number of homes along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains subject to chinook winds 20-30 times a year. That was not a fluke. I think we have a lot more education of getting people to understand this can happen to you; you're at risk."

Nearly three million Coloradans now live in wildfire prone areas. The State Forrest Service is working with communities across Colorado to update their wildfire protection plans. Some of them haven't been updated in years.

Over the last decade, there have been about 5,500 fires on average every year in Colorado. Eleven of the state's biggest wildfires have happened in just the last three years.

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