I awoke last night to the scent of wood smoke. While that smell is inviting and nostalgic during the colder months, its presence on a mid June night is generally a cause for concern, especially in the arid environment of the American West.
Indeed, the source of the smoke was the Lime Gulch wildfire in the Front Range foothills, southwest of Denver. Local authorities report that the fire was ignited by a lightening strike on Tuesday evening and spread yesterday in response to gusty winds from other storms in the area. As is typical in summer along the Front Range, these thunderstorms produced copious wind and lightening but little rain. Last night, a southwest breeze carried smoke from the wildfire onto the Colorado Piedmont.
This year's wildfire season has, to date, been especially severe in Colorado. While arson may have played a role in the largest and most destructive fire (in the Black Forest), dry vegetation, hot weather and windy conditions have set the stage for more devastation. As vital as wildfire may be to the welfare of forest and grassland ecosystems, human habitation of those regions comes with the risk of tragedy, especially during periods of drought. For their sake, let's hope that the summer monsoon and the autumn snows arrive early this year.
