It isn't over till the fat lady sings

The Hondo Fire of 1996 burned the forest on this mountain.
It has not regrown. Photo taken in 2018

Forest fires are complex issues. They harm things the flames don't actually touch. Like watersheds and streams and the life in the streams and the ponds and reservoirs downstream from the fire.

And wild life. Even those which are fleet of foot and move away from a fire are impacted, and the established herds in the non-fire forests are unbalanced by extra numbers.

There may have been no homes or structures burned but utility lines and poles and the things like fiber optics and telephone lines which are strung on those poles are harmed. Service can be disrupted both up-line and down-line. Serious repair work cannot be done until the fire is out and the area safe.

Evacuation orders have been lifted but the roads to and from those homes have been damaged. Extreme heat buckles tarmac. Debris has to be cleared, pavement repaired, fallen rocks removed.

Yes, the fire crews at the Ute Park Fire are beginning to reduce their numbers. Fire is not totally out yet. Containment lines have to be daily and hourly maintained. But clean up crews and utility companies and water management crews can begin their work.

We are all so thankful to the brave men fighting this fire and the crews who supported them. But suddenly we are whining because there are power outages, and internet internet interruptions, and a large section of US 64 still closed. How about we be as grateful for those people trying to put things back right in sometimes dangerous conditions. They are working in ash and debris around unstable cliffs. And tress which may look okay but are burning inside or in the roots.

Just because this fire is almost entirely contained does not mean we can go back to dangerous activities. There are still restrictions on fire. Keep the ATV's parked. And if it burns or sparks don't do it. Let's do what we need to do to make this our only forest fire.