Wildfires are becoming more and more prevalent and destructive every year. The Colorado fire season which used to last from June to September now spans much longer. With summer approaching, University of Denver students are preparing for raging fires along with all western US residents.
The recent Marshall Fire near Denver, CO is the most striking example of an extended fire season. The front range experienced its latest snowfall on record this year and the Marshall Fire was set ablaze on Dec. 30th – months after fire season was supposed to end. The fire burned over 1000 homes in Louisville and Superior, becoming the most destructive fire in Colorado history. Residents of northern Colorado were shocked by the magnitude of the fire in such a highly-populated area.
“It could have just as easily been my parents’ home,” said DU student and Colorado native Elizabeth Ward.
She says her family created an evacuation plan and gathered emergency supplies after the Marshall Fire. Ward feels more comfortable knowing her family has a plan if they were to be forced from their home because of a fire.
Forest fires have always been present in the mountains of Colorado but residents are now taking measures to protect their homes in metropolitan areas. Smoke and ash are something all Coloradoans have probably experienced, but more people seem to be preparing for the worst.
Boulder County resident Abigail Mix said of wildfires, “It feels like they are getting closer every year.”
The latest Colorado fire also burned a bit too close to home for northern Colorado residents. The NCAR Fire burned 190 acres just outside of Boulder, CO in March. These unseasonable fires are raising a lot of questions for Coloradoans about how to prepare for such an event.
Students at the University of Denver have been forced to plan for destructive circumstances. Students come from all over the country, and some are familiar with the risks and protocols of wildfire season while some have never experienced it.
DU sophomore Emily Schroeder said of her California childhood, “I’m no stranger to wildfires. We used to have multiple days a year when we couldn’t go to school because the smoke was so bad.”
University students seem to have a growing sense of anxiety surrounding the topic of wildfires. Hot summers and dry winters are becoming the norm and students are worried about the future of fires as they start their adult lives in Colorado.
Maya Nelson moved to Colorado from Connecticut and was shocked to see the thick smoke and ash falling from the sky from the Cameron Peak fire in 2020. “It was so scary to see the fire was so close, I’ve never seen anything like that.”
The Cameron Peak fire is Colorado’s largest fire on record, it burned 208,913 acres over 62 days. The ash and smoke covered northern Colorado for weeks, creating toxic air quality and making international headlines.
Almost half of Colorado’s population lives in wildfire-prone areas, that’s roughly 3 million people. It is not just heavily forested areas that are at risk. Dry grasslands that surround most Colorado towns are becoming more dangerous every year.
The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control recommends that all individuals in fire-prone areas create an emergency evacuation plan. This includes packing a go-bag and emergency kit. The DFPC also provides actionable steps to prevent fire such as removing all dry leaves and needles from your property and following fire danger protocols. For more information on wildfires and fire safety please visit https://dfpc.colorado.gov/ .
MFJS Reporter Spring 2022 
I am glad you are covering a topic such as natural disasters like this. As someone who is from California I have seen first hand how devastating fires can be. I am glad to see more people making plans with their families as an unexpected fire can be catastrophic. As someone who has had their house burn down, I know how awful it can be and I sympathize with anyone who has had any close calls with fire. Seeing acres upon acres of land just burnt to a crisp really makes you think.
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I think that this topic of this natural disaster is super important to cover. I, like Taj, am also from California and have seen the effects that wildfires have on families, the air quality, and overall community moral. It’s really devastating when something like this strikes because of the immense loss that follows. A friend of mine recently lost her home in one of the Boulder fires, so I’ve been seeing first hand how this has affected her life.
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