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Colfax County emergency manager warns of elevated wildfire risk starting in February
Summary
Tom DeHill told the commission that dry fuels and low grazing put Colfax County at higher-than-normal wildfire risk beginning in February and continuing into March; he urged coordination with the fire marshal and federal partners as response structures change.
Tom DeHill, Colfax County emergency management coordinator, told the board that county fire danger is expected to climb to “above average” beginning in February and to remain elevated into March because of dry standing grasses and low grazing.
The warning came during public comment when DeHill said predictive services — through the National Interagency Fire Center — now show conditions similar to 2016–2017 and that the county should expect “an early season” with increased fire behavior in light, flashy fuels. “We pretty much are going to stay there through the rest of the season by March,” he said.
DeHill also flagged federal proposals to reorganize wildfire response — including moving U.S. Forest Service wildfire responsibilities from USDA to the Department of the Interior — and said the county does not yet know how those changes will affect operations on federal lands. He noted that approximately 85% of the county is privately owned and that state-level incident response would still be important for private lands.
Commissioners acknowledged the uncertainty and asked staff and chiefs to coordinate public messaging and readiness. The county’s fire marshal and emergency teams will continue outreach to local fire chiefs and prepare for an active season, DeHill said.
The discussion concluded with a reminder that local planning should assume higher risk this winter and spring and that interagency coordination will be essential if federal response structures shift ahead of or during local fire season.
