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The Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest and Rocky Mountain National Park will remain closed this weekend, with no expected reopening date in the near future. With warm and dry weather in the forecast, there is still potential for new fires to start and existing ones to grow. The Cameron Peak, Cal-Wood and East Troublesome fires are still burning under the snow, and officials have recorded new smoke and visible flames from within the existing fire perimeters.
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In the midst of a record-breaking fire season, and as two of the largest fires our state has ever seen continue to burn, KUNC’s Colorado Edition spoke with Mike Lester, state forester and director of the Colorado State Forest Service, about how Colorado’s forests are managed.
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The deadly coronavirus adds new uncertainties, while a growing body of research shows significant and enduring health risks from wildfire smoke.
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Colorado, the U.S. Postal Service and county elections departments offer support services to ensure people can easily cast their ballot in tumultuous emergency situations. And officials say there's no need to stress about it — there’s still plenty of time.
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Officials are tracking the explosive growth of the East Troublesome Fire on both sides of the Continental Divide and into the “crown jewel” of Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park. As flames burned on its eastern side, near the town of Estes Park, the western side was the main area of focus. The fire exploded to 188,000 acres as of Friday afternoon, making it the second-largest wildfire in state history.
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Gov. Jared Polis traveled around the state on Friday to get a firsthand look at the efforts that are underway to contain several record-breaking wildfires. Capitol Coverage reporter Scott Franz spoke to Polis over the phone after he left a meeting this morning with evacuees of the East Troublesome Fire in Grand County.
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Firefighters are crediting the cold front that moved into Boulder County on Thursday in helping them get the Cal-Wood Fire under better control. The fire is now considered 55% contained. The Lefthand Canyon Fire is considered 100% contained. Firefighters are expected to patrol the fire lines today and make improvements as necessary.
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Orange skies, winds gusting up to 70 mph, smoke tornadoes and hazardous air. While it could be an apocalyptic scene out of a movie, it has become the reality of Colorado's wildfire season. The blazes have burned the second-most acreage since 2000 and included the state's three largest on record.
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For many communities in the West, the water that flows out of kitchen faucets and bathroom showerheads starts high up in the mountains, as snowpack tucked under canopies of spruce and pine trees. This summer’s record-breaking wildfires have reduced some of those headwater forests to burnt trees and heaps of ash.
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Forecasts show stronger winds in store for the start of the week, which could complicate the responses to several major wildfires burning along the Front Range. At just under 9,000 acres, the Cal-Wood Fire is officially the county’s largest on record. Containment is at 15%. After another day with wind gusts over 60 miles per hour, the Cameron Peak Fire is now 203,253 acres, with 62% containment.