Rain Brings…Wildfires?

Lighting from area storms ignites several local fires

Over the last couple days, thunderstorms and the accompanying lightning sparked 10 brush fires in Mesa County. The idea of storms starting a brush fire is odd for this mid-westerner. The concept isn't completely foreign. It happens back home but its usually a structure that catches fire from a lighting strike.

Forchently the fires were small and quickly contained by local firefighters. The largest started at 21 1/2 Road on Glade Park yesterday evening. That fire torched about 4 acres of grass and brush. Other locations were near the Colorado River, the Glade Park area, and Moore Creek above Enoch Lake in the Grand Mesa National Forest. The good news is that no homes or structures were threatened by the fires.

All of this serves as a reminder of just how dry conditions are. Use caution. The fire restrictions are in place for a reason. A spark from a dragging chain, an ember from your grill, or a cigarette butt flicked out the car window could spell disaster.

There's a slight chance of some precipitation over the next 24 hours but then it's right back to the hot, dry, and low humidity. Here's the official Grand Junction forecast from the National Weather Service.

Credit: Westernslopenow.com