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On December 30, 2021, fires continue to burn in Louisville, Colorado.
Helen H. Richardson photo for The Denver Post.
The year of awful dry weather in the US ended with devastating fires in Colorado. Hundreds of homes were scorched and tens of thousands of people were forced to leave their homes because of the dry conditions.
The fires have 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 The flames were fanned by strong winds. At least 500 homes were burned by Friday morning. Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said that there were no casualties, which was "miraculous" given the severity of the fire. The governor said families had minutes to leave their homes.
According to the US Drought Monitor, more than two-thirds of Colorado's land is experiencing "severe" or "abnormally dry" conditions. When a dry landscape provides plenty of fire, downed power lines are a problem that becomes more dangerous.
The recent record dryness is one of the factors that lead to the devastating wildfire today. Denver has been the driest city on record for the entire second half of the year. The snowfall is at a record low.
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NWS Boulder is on December 31, 2021.
The experts expected a bad fire season. The National Interagency Fire Center said in February that the potential for significant fire activity was above normal for most of the West. By the end of the year, more acres burned in the US than in the previous 10 years.
The climate crisis is changing what is typical for the US. The western US has become more prone to severe fires over the past few decades. Fire season, which used to run from May to November, no longer seems to let up. Colorado's fires show this, coming late in the year.
The climate crisis is changing what is typical for the US.
The fires in Colorado are a symptom of the US being in a severe dry spell. 25 million people rely on the Colorado River for water, and this year it faced an unprecedented water shortage. In August, an official shortage was declared for the first time in the history of the US. The water levels at the reservoir were low in June. Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico will have mandatory water cuts on January 1st. Farmers in Arizona are expected to be hit the hardest by the cuts. The state of California was cut off from its available hydroelectricity due to the state being in a dry spell.
The year in California is ending with record snow and heavy rain. It has been helpful in easing water shortages, but it is not enough to end the drought. Extreme weather swings are caused by climate change. A landmark climate report published this year says it increases the world's water cycle. We will probably want to prepare for another wild weather year.
