With four major wildfires consuming more than 130,000 acres in Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis Tuesday issued an order banning open fires throughout the state for the next 30 days.

Polis said that three of the four wildfires appear to be human-caused; the one that isn’t is the Pine Gulch fire north of Fruita, where lightning strikes were reported in the area at the time the fire started.

The ban is directed at campfires and fireworks or any other “open source” fire. People can still use barbecue grills, covered fire pits or camp stoves, for example.

Polis was joined at a Tuesday news conference by Dan Gibbs, executive director of the Department of Natural Resources, a certified wildland firefighter who has been on the front lines of the Grizzly Creek wildfire near Glenwood Springs for the past several days.

Gibbs described his experience of fighting a wildfire in the era of COVID-19. He got certified as a firefighter when living in Summit County, which had been heavily infested with bark beetles. 

Grizzly Creek is now the number-one priority wildfire in the county, Gibbs said. He’s been tasked to a team working on structural protections for homes and buildings near the fire, which started on Aug. 10 and has now grown to more than 26,000 acres.

The fire is raging on both sides of Glenwood Canyon. In addition to the fire, they’re also facing difficulties from falling rocks throughout the canyon, he said. 

“Fighting fires during COVID-19 is very different” from the experiences he’s had in the past, he said. Firefighters are dispersed with teams in their own pods. Food and water supplies are brought in daily, and in-person briefings have been replaced by radio transmissions.

“I’m really impressed with the precautions” being taken, Gibbs said. He warned local residents to have an evacuation plan ready, along with an evacuation kit prepared in advance. 

Stan Hilkey, executive director of the state’s department of public safety, said three of his divisions are also involved in helping with the wildfires: the division of homeland security, state patrol and the division of fire prevention and control. The state has been able to transfer funds from the disaster emergency fund, which has been used to deal with the pandemic, to the wildfire emergency fund. To date, state costs are estimated at $10.5 million but that figure could certainly grow.

Hilkey said his divisions have been preparing for wildfires despite also having to deal with the pandemic. He also noted a recent contract for an air tanker, which has now flown seven missions on 15 different fires and dropped 82,000 gallons of fire-suppressing product.

The state patrol has been assisting local law enforcement on evacuations, which he said has had to be done differently due to the pandemic. Instead of putting people in schools or gymnasiums, they’ve had to use motels, hotels and college dorms to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Coloradans also may be experiencing respiratory problems due to the heavy smoke from the fires. Dr. Alexis Burakoff, an epidemiologist with the state health department, said some respiratory symptoms from smoke may be similar to that of COVID-19. When in doubt, contact your healthcare provider and get tested, she said. 

Burakoff also noted that the department has been issuing alerts for unhealthy air, which are now in effect for the Front Range and Colorado Springs. She advised people to keep windows closed, and for those with central air conditioning, set it to recirculate air rather than bringing in air from the outside. 

The governor also announced that the state’s positivity rate for COVID-19 is at 2.18%, the lowest it’s been since the pandemic started. He attributed it to the steps Coloradans have taken, such as wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing. But that doesn’t mean he’s ready to lift some of the restrictions, such as the last call order that requires bars and restaurants to stop serving alcohol at 10 p.m. 

That executive order is due to expire at the end of the week. The state is not ready to return to a normal nightlife, Polis said. “I can confirm there is no place in America” where nightlife is ready to resume the way it existed a year ago, he said. Polis hinted that he may make some changes in that order, which is in progress. 

The state is being sued over that order by the Tavern League of Colorado. A Denver District Court judge denied the league a temporary restraining order, and a trial is the next step.

Part of the reason that order isn’t being lifted: college students returning to campus, for which he said he has the greatest concerns for night-time activity. Students are returning to Colorado college campuses from around the state and nation, and from areas with a much greater problem with the virus, and that “heightens our concern.”

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