High temps, no rain prompt increased fire danger in Pitkin County this weekend

High temperatures and a lack of precipitation are contributing to high fire danger in Pitkin County this weekend.

Temperatures in Aspen will peak at 90 degrees this weekend, according to the National Weather Service. With Sunday thunderstorms bringing lightning to the area, local fire rescue officials are keeping an eye out on potential blazes. 

“The monsoon season hasn’t been all that great,” Weather Service Meteorologist Norv Larson said. “So we’re seeing more fires start later in the season than we typically would.”

In the past week, fires have sparked across the Front Range, causing evacuations and damaging structures. He cautioned people planning to go into the backcountry this weekend.

“The Maroon Bells and surrounding area are going to come under increasing potential for thunderstorms,” he said. “My concern would be with the moisture. Going into Sunday, we’ll see an outbreak of thunderstorm activity, and initially since it has been so dry, that moisture typically comes in at higher levels of the atmosphere, so it has trouble getting moisture down to the surface that would help mitigate that fire threat.”

Garfield County entered Stage 1 fire restrictions on Friday, said Richard Cornelius, Roaring Fork Fire Rescue deputy fire chief. Neither Pitkin nor Eagle counties have entered fire restrictions, but that doesn’t mean fire danger isn’t high, he said.

Roaring Fork Fire Rescue has a wildland severity crew that is available daily to respond to wildland fires and smoke reports. Because of the forecasted thunderstorms, he said the wildland crew will keep to the western part of Roaring Fork Fire’s district.

“That crew is specifically on the schedule to be able to immediately respond to any wildland fires,” he said. “Based on the high, dry weather, and then certainly the potential for some lightning, we will keep that resource in the western part of our authority just because the elevation is a little higher and the fire danger is a little higher.”

He cautioned against discarding cigarette butts, dragging chains along the roads, and using fireworks to mitigate the risk of starting a fire.

The last major fire in the area was the Lake Christine Fire in 2018. It was sparked in July 2018 in Basalt and burned 12,589 acres.

Lucy Peterson covers education and Snowmass for the Aspen Times. She can be reached at 970-429-9152 or lpeterson@aspentimes.com.