When a wildfire breaks out in Colorado, scores of emergency responders help fight the blaze and protect residents: wildland firefighters, pilots for air tankers, and law enforcement to help evacuate people.
There's one job you don't hear about as much — but it plays an integral role in how crews respond to a fast-moving wildfire.
A team of incident meteorologists with the National Weather Service dispatches weather experts to disasters like wildfires, hurricanes and blizzards. They help emergency crews plan their response based on how weather conditions are likely to change.
Juan Hernandez is an incident meteorologist who’s currently stationed in Pueblo, near the Aspen Acres fire that has scorched more than 100,000 acres and more than 850 structures over the past month.
He spoke with Erin O'Toole on Thursday about the unusual work he's been doing there, and how he helps crews fight a wildland blaze.
