Historic drought, wildfires changing Colorado's landscape
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis says fire mitigation and defense are critical
Colorado's response, relief efforts for residents facing historic drought, wildfire season
Colorado Governor Jared Polis joined FOX Weather Sunrise to discuss how the state is responding and providing relief to residents facing drought and a devastating wildfire season.
A historic drought and devastating wildfires have changed the landscape for people who call Colorado home.
So, how does the state respond and provide relief to those who have been affected by the extreme climate conditions?
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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis joined FOX Weather on Thursday morning and said the most significant change has been the year-round threat of fires.
"We had the largest and most destructive suburban fire in the history of our state last December, the Marshall Fire – now, the May Ranch just a week ago in southeast Colorado."
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Polis said fire mitigation and defense are critical.
"We're in a situation with, effectively, statewide drought," he said. "We've been there most of the last few years with these changing conditions. There's just new and prolonged threats to both grasslands, wildlands, as well as urban and suburban areas."
Pres. Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for the state of Colorado in January and the Federal Emergency Management Agency said the federal disaster assistance was made available to supplement the state and local recovery efforts following the Marshall Fire.
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Image 1 of 30Firefighters point directions for evacuation in neighborhoods on December 30, 2021 in Superior, Colorado. Fierce winds have whipped wildfires in Boulder County, The towns of Superior and Louisville have been evacuated. Multiple homes and businesses have burned so far from the fast moving fire stocked by fierce winds, with gusts topping 100 mph, along the foothills. The fire has been called the Marshall Fire. (Helen H. Richardson)
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Image 2 of 30LOUISVILLE, CO - DECEMBER 30: Fire surrounds homes in neighborhoods on December 30, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado. Fierce winds have whipped wildfires in Boulder County, The towns of Superior and Louisville have been evacuated. Multiple homes and businesses have burned so far from the fast moving fire stocked by fierce winds, with gusts topping 100 mph, along the foothills.(Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post ( )
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Image 3 of 30Flames engulf homes as the Marshall Fire spreads through a neighborhood in the town of Superior in Boulder County, Colorado on December 30, 2021. - Hundreds of homes are feared lost in fast-moving wildfires in the US state of Colorado, officials said Thursday, as flames tear through areas desiccated by a historic drought. At least 1,600 acres have burned in Boulder County, much of it suburban, with warnings that deaths and injuries were likely as the blaze engulfes hotels and shopping centers. Extreme winds topping 100 mph caused grass fires to quickly spread into the Colorado towns of Superior and Louisville resulting in the mandatory evacuation of over 30,000 residents. Colorado Governor Jared Polis has declared a state of emergency due to the grass fires in Boulder County. (Photo by Jason Connolly / AFP) (Photo by JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 4 of 30Flames engulf homes as the Marshall Fire spreads through a neighborhood in the town of Superior in Boulder County, Colorado on December 30, 2021. - Hundreds of homes are feared lost in fast-moving wildfires in the US state of Colorado, officials said Thursday, as flames tear through areas desiccated by a historic drought. At least 1,600 acres have burned in Boulder County, much of it suburban, with warnings that deaths and injuries were likely as the blaze engulfes hotels and shopping centers. Extreme winds topping 100 mph caused grass fires to quickly spread into the Colorado towns of Superior and Louisville resulting in the mandatory evacuation of over 30,000 residents. Colorado Governor Jared Polis has declared a state of emergency due to the grass fires in Boulder County. (Photo by Jason Connolly / AFP) (Photo by JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 5 of 30Flames engulf homes as the Marshall Fire spreads through a neighborhood in the town of Superior in Boulder County, Colorado on December 30, 2021. - Hundreds of homes are feared lost in fast-moving wildfires in the US state of Colorado, officials said Thursday, as flames tear through areas desiccated by a historic drought. At least 1,600 acres have burned in Boulder County, much of it suburban, with warnings that deaths and injuries were likely as the blaze engulfes hotels and shopping centers. Extreme winds topping 100 mph caused grass fires to quickly spread into the Colorado towns of Superior and Louisville resulting in the mandatory evacuation of over 30,000 residents. Colorado Governor Jared Polis has declared a state of emergency due to the grass fires in Boulder County. (Photo by Jason Connolly / AFP) (Photo by JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 6 of 30Flames engulf homes as the Marshall Fire spreads through a neighborhood in the town of Superior in Boulder County, Colorado on December 30, 2021. - Hundreds of homes are feared lost in fast-moving wildfires in the US state of Colorado, officials said Thursday, as flames tear through areas desiccated by a historic drought. At least 1,600 acres have burned in Boulder County, much of it suburban, with warnings that deaths and injuries were likely as the blaze engulfes hotels and shopping centers. Extreme winds topping 100 mph caused grass fires to quickly spread into the Colorado towns of Superior and Louisville resulting in the mandatory evacuation of over 30,000 residents. Colorado Governor Jared Polis has declared a state of emergency due to the grass fires in Boulder County. (Photo by Jason Connolly / AFP) (Photo by JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 7 of 30BROOMFIELD, COLORADO - DECEMBER 30: The Marshall Fire continues to burn out of control on December 30, 2021 in Broomfield, Colorado. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 8 of 30BROOMFIELD, COLORADO - DECEMBER 30: The Marshall Fire continues to burn out of control on December 30, 2021 in Broomfield, Colorado. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 9 of 30Burnt out vehicles sit amidst the smoke and haze after a fast moving wildfire swept through the area in the Centennial Heights neighborhood of Louisville, Colorado on December 30, 2021. State officials estimated some 600 homes had already been lost in multiple areas around Boulder County and were fueled by winds that gusted upwards of 100 miles per hour at times during the day. (Photo by Marc Piscotty/Getty Images) ( )
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Image 10 of 30LOUISVILLE, CO - DECEMBER 31: Scott Sherr carries a suitcase to his car after packing essential items from his home. He walks passed the charred remains of his friend's house on Mt. Evans Court in a Louisville subdivision to the south of Harper Lake on Friday, December 31, 2021. Sherr's house was spared but has no electricity or water so they chose to stay with family in Colorado Springs. (Photo by Photographer Name/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 11 of 30Remains of home destroyed by the Marshall Fire in Louisville, Colorado on December 31, 2021. - A fast-spreading wildfire that tore through several Colorado towns -- laying waste to entire neighborhoods "in the blink of an eye," according to the governor -- had largely burned itself out Friday, with heavy snow expected to douse any remaining embers. (Photo by Jason Connolly / AFP) (Photo by JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 12 of 30LOUISVILLE, CO - DECEMBER 31: A baseball sits in a field of burnt grass in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire on December 31, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado. The fast moving wind driven fire that erupted Thursday in multiple spots around Boulder County forced some 30,000 people out of their residences and may have destroyed as many as 1,000 homes. (Photo by Marc Piscotty/Getty Images) ( )
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Image 13 of 30A lone chimney is all that remains of a home destroyed by the Marshall Fire in Boulder County, Colorado on December 31, 2021. - A fast-spreading wildfire that tore through several Colorado towns -- laying waste to entire neighborhoods "in the blink of an eye," according to the governor -- had largely burned itself out Friday, with heavy snow expected to douse any remaining embers. (Photo by Jason Connolly / AFP) (Photo by JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 14 of 30LOUISVILLE, CO - DECEMBER 31: A statue of Virgin Mary remains standing amidst the rubble of a home on December 31, 2021 in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire. The fast moving wind driven fire that erupted Thursday in multiple spots around Boulder County forced some 30,000 people out of their residences and may have destroyed as many as 1,000 homes. (Photo by Marc Piscotty/Getty Images) ( )
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Image 15 of 30LOUISVILLE, CO - DECEMBER 31: One of many hot spots continues to burn at the Wildflower Condos in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire on December 31, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado. The fast moving wind driven fire that erupted Thursday in multiple spots around Boulder County forced some 30,000 people out of their residences and may have destroyed as many as 1,000 homes. (Photo by Marc Piscotty/Getty Images) ( )
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Image 16 of 30Elise Delaware walks through the remains of her childhood home in The Enclave neighborhood of Louisville, Colorado on December, 31, 2021. - A fast-spreading wildfire that tore through several Colorado towns -- laying waste to entire neighborhoods "in the blink of an eye," according to the governor -- had largely burned itself out Friday, with heavy snow expected to douse any remaining embers. (Photo by Jason Connolly / AFP) (Photo by JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 17 of 30LOUISVILLE, CO - DECEMBER 31: People on bikes survey the damage of burned homes in the Coal Creek Ranch subdivision in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire on December 31, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado. The fire may have potentially burned 1000 homes and numerous business. The fast moving fire was stocked by extremely dry drought conditions and fierce winds, with gusts topping 100 mph, along the foothills. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 18 of 30LOUISVILLE, CO - DECEMBER 31: A man on a bike rides by burned homes in the Coal Creek Ranch subdivision in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire on December 31, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado. The fire may have potentially burned 1000 homes and numerous business. The fast moving fire was stocked by extremely dry drought conditions and fierce winds, with gusts topping 100 mph, along the foothills. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 19 of 30LOUISVILLE, CO - DECEMBER 31: Houses are burned to the ground in the Coal Creek Ranch subdivision in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire on December 31, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado. The fire may have potentially burned 1000 homes and numerous business. The fast moving fire was stocked by extremely dry drought conditions and fierce winds, with gusts topping 100 mph, along the foothills. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 20 of 30LOUISVILLE, CO - DECEMBER 31: Houses are burned to the ground in the Coal Creek Ranch subdivision in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire on December 31, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado. The fire may have potentially burned 1000 homes and numerous business. The fast moving fire was stocked by extremely dry drought conditions and fierce winds, with gusts topping 100 mph, along the foothills. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 21 of 30LOUISVILLE, CO - DECEMBER 31: Xcel Energy worker Christopher Hernandez, center, working around a completely burned out car, uses utility locaters to look for gas and electric lines amidst the rubble of homes that are burned to the ground in the Coal Creek Ranch subdivision in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire on December 31, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado. The fire may have potentially burned 1000 homes and numerous business. The fast moving fire was stocked by extremely dry drought conditions and fierce winds, with gusts topping 100 mph, along the foothills. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 22 of 30LOUISVILLE, CO - DECEMBER 31: Burned houses in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire on December 31, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado. The fire may have potentially burned 1000 homes and numerous business. The fast moving fire was stocked by extremely dry drought conditions and fierce winds, with gusts topping 100 mph, along the foothills. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 23 of 30LOUISVILLE, CO - DECEMBER 31: An Xcel Energy worker surveys the damage to a home that was burned to the ground in the Coal Creek Ranch subdivision in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire on December 31, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado. The fire may have potentially burned 1000 homes and numerous business. The fast moving fire was stocked by extremely dry drought conditions and fierce winds, with gusts topping 100 mph, along the foothills. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 24 of 30A statue of the Virgin Mary is all that remains at the site of a home in The Enclave neighborhood of Louisville, Colorado on December 31, 2021. - A fast-spreading wildfire that tore through several Colorado towns -- laying waste to entire neighborhoods "in the blink of an eye," according to the governor -- had largely burned itself out Friday, with heavy snow expected to douse any remaining embers. (Photo by Jason Connolly / AFP) (Photo by JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 25 of 30LOUISVILLE, CO - DECEMBER 31: Xcel Energy worker Christopher Hernandez, right, working around a completely burned out car, uses utility locaters to look for gas and electric lines amidst the rubble of homes that are burned to the ground in the Coal Creek Ranch subdivision in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire on December 31, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado. The fire may have potentially burned 1000 homes and numerous business. The fast moving fire was stocked by extremely dry drought conditions and fierce winds, with gusts topping 100 mph, along the foothills. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 26 of 30LOUISVILLE, CO - DECEMBER 31: Houses are burned to the ground in the Coal Creek Ranch subdivision in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire on December 31, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado. The fire may have potentially burned 1000 homes and numerous business. The fast moving fire was stocked by extremely dry drought conditions and fierce winds, with gusts topping 100 mph, along the foothills. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 27 of 30LOUISVILLE, CO - DECEMBER 31: Houses are burned to the ground in the Coal Creek Ranch subdivision in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire on December 31, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado. The fire may have potentially burned 1000 homes and numerous business. The fast moving fire was stocked by extremely dry drought conditions and fierce winds, with gusts topping 100 mph, along the foothills. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 28 of 30LOUISVILLE, CO - DECEMBER 31: An Xcel Energy worker surveys the damage to a home that was burned to the ground in the Coal Creek Ranch subdivision in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire on December 31, 2021 in Louisville, Colorado. The fire may have potentially burned 1000 homes and numerous business. The fast moving fire was stocked by extremely dry drought conditions and fierce winds, with gusts topping 100 mph, along the foothills. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 29 of 30SUPERIOR, COLORADO - DECEMBER 31: The Element hotel burnt to the ground in the Marshall Fire that sweep across Boulder County on December 31, 2021 in Superior, Colorado. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 30 of 30SUPERIOR, CO - DECEMBER 30: A horse runs through Grasso Park on December 30, 2021 in Superior, Colorado. Fierce winds have whipped wildfires in Boulder County, The towns of Superior and Louisville have been evacuated. Multiple homes and businesses have burned so far from the fast moving fire stocked by fierce winds, with gusts topping 100 mph, along the foothills. The fire has been called the Marshall Fire. The horse was later found by Sheriff deputies and reunited with the owners. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ( )
"We're very grateful for that," Polis said. "The most tangible change when we're granted a major disaster area is the reimbursement that we get for the federal government, not the individual homeowner level, but the state expenses that go into firefighting. We had the three largest wildfires in the history of our state in 2020 – so, three of the largest wildfires, the most destructive fire last December, and now we're already seeing grassland fires this season. It looks even worse in eastern Colorado."
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May Ranch in Lamar, CO loses livestock, 9K+ acres due to Sandy Creek Fire
The May family said the Sandy Creek wildfire took some of their animals and thousands of acres of their land last Friday in Lamar, Colorado -- and they said they're lucky it wasn't worse.
But it's not only the fires changing the landscape. Drought is making these times challenging for ranchers.
"Here in Colorado, two of our biggest industries are climate-dependent: farming and ranching," he said. "And, of course, outdoor recreation and skiing. These are both directly climate-related, and they're directly affected by drier conditions and the changing climate."
Polis said the Department of Agriculture is stepping up to support farmers and ranchers with soil health initiatives and fire mitigation initiatives.
"This is an economic threat," he said. "Farmers and ranchers can lose everything they have, and that's why we've got to bring these communities together. There's such love in our eastern Colorado communities."