Colorado fire officials are predicting an average 2020 fire season thanks to above average snowfall.
But an average year means that firefighters will fight more than 4,400 fires that will burn an average of 168,000 acres all with fewer resources than usual due to the coronavirus.
The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control says local firefighters will be short-staffed due to the virus. The virus also means changes to the normal way fire crews work. During the fire season, firefighters jam into trucks or planes and travel across the country to where they are needed most. Once there, they camp in close quarters.
The state plans to mitigate the risks connected to COVID-19 by deploying extra resources dedicated to identifying and extinguishing fires as quickly as possible to keep them from growing.
