BOULDER, Colo. — Boulder city leaders are warning people to be careful while spending time outdoors as they are entering the heart of its drought and fire season.
“Those fuels on the ground and the grasses that start to dry up, it really doesn't take that much to start a fire. That's where we are concerned about,” Lisa Goncalo, the recreation stewardship senior program manager for the City of Boulder, said.
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The city open space parks attracts around 6.2 million visitors every year, according to City of Boulder leaders.
“You look at comparisons to Rocky Mountain National Park, which sees about around four to five million visits, we really are a popular park,” Goncalo said.
Goncalo told Denver7, when it comes to visitation at their open space parks and trails, the busy season isn’t during a typical summer period.
“It starts in May and it ends in October,” Goncalo said.
Boulder city leaders are urging people to avoid anything that could create a spark, especially on days where wildfire concerns are more elevated.
“We have seen some small wildfires popping up in the Chautauqua and Flagstaff areas, and so we really want to caution visitors,” Goncalo said.
Goncalo said anything with an ignition source is prohibited on their open space properties.
“That includes campfires, fireworks, and cigarettes. The smallest flick of a cigarette on the perfect day with wind conditions that are appropriate could set off a wildfire, so we just ask that you keep all your ignition sources at home,” Goncalo added.
The combination of a dry winter, low snowpack and warming temperatures are a perfect mixture for wildfire growth. Officials said they have already seen some of those incidences.
“We will be looking out for those in the summer months,” Goncalo told Denver7.
Some Boulder residents said wildfires are top of mind more than ever before.
“It feels like a lot more fires than before. Wildfires were never on my mind. Now i always think about it. I definitely have to keep that in mind all the time. Just make sure that everything's good and prepared if anything does happen,” Boulder resident Xi Miao said.
Some residents have noticed drier conditions recently.
“My house abuts the open space, so I’m definitely worried about it. I was hiking Royal Arch one day when there was a fire in Chautauqua Park. It's already browning maybe a good month early,” Boulder resident Kent Kasica said.
The city recommended people stay up to date on daily conditions to prevent a natural disaster.
