LAC Commissioners begin looking at stage two fire ban

by Bill Knowles

TRINIDAD — The Las Animas County Commissioners talked about implementing a stage two fire ban that will be put in place until seasonal rains begin.  The discussion dominated a large part of the regular commission meeting on Tuesday, March 20.

Talk started with the State Line fire that burned over 28,000 acres in Oklahoma, Colorado, and New Mexico. The question of who pays for what is being considered. Colorado has been billed $100,000 for air flight time, but it disputes that billing.  Las Animas commissioner Mack Louden noted that when large groups of people get together, “Nothing seems to go right.”

Commissioner Luis Lopez relayed a comment from one Colorado firefighter that the area they were working in presents “Some of the roughest terrain in the country.”  Probable cause for the State Line fire are sparks caused by welding.

Following the county’s emergency management director Kim Chavez’s comment stating that conditions in Las Animas County are very similar to 2002, fire chiefs from the county’s fire protection districts spoke to the county commissioners.

With the smoke still hanging from the fire, they explained that with very little to no rain or snow since early this year, conditions are becoming very dry.  The specter of another fire like the Hayman Fire, which burned 138,114 acres in Douglas, Jefferson, Park, and Teller counties in Northern Colorado June 8 – July 18, 2002, is looming.  The Hayman Fire was the largest wild fire in the state’s recorded history.

If wildfire starts in Las Animas County, water to fight it with would mostly come from the City of Trinidad, which could contribute as much as 85% of the water used.  More water would come from the water shed in western Las Animas County.

A stage two fire ban in Las Animas County could involve banning the use of welding equipment, no open barbeques, and would also ban other fires that have to be “put out” rather then “turned off.”

The county’s fire chiefs will be having a meeting this Friday at the Stonewall Fire Protection District building, where they will discuss what they need to see in a stage two fire ban.  Louden voiced approval for the meeting, indicating that the fire chiefs need to have a say because of the varying conditions in such a large county.  Las Animas County is the largest county in the state, at about 4,775 square miles, and varies in terrain from high mountain altitudes and alpine forests in the west to grass lands and rolling rugged terrain in the east.

Following the meeting, the county commissioners will have a better idea of what restrictions to include in a stage two fire ban.  Commissioner Dean Moltrer was absent from the meeting, and missed the vote to table a stage two ban, which carried on a 2-0 vote.

The U.S. Forest Service also indicated that the county would have to communicate, for the duration of fire season, with the USFS, on the restrictions the commissioners enact so they can watch for violations on USFS land.  The USFS has an option for a stage two ban, but unlike the county’s ban it doesn’t include any specific items such as a ban on welding.  Currently the USFS has no restrictions in place.

Sam Mitchell, an attorney from the Ohio based legal firm Spice and Warwick, had addressed the commissioners about filing a lawsuit against the manufacturers and distributors of opioid products during the regular meeting on March 6.  They returned on March 20 to see about a decision by the county to join other Colorado counties in the lawsuit.  The commissioners approved joining the lawsuit with a 2-0 vote after receiving advice from the county attorney Dixie Newnam in executive session following the meeting.

In January, the commission heard from the Ochs Law Firm concerning the same type of lawsuit.  It was at that time that Huerfano County joined with the firm in filing a lawsuit against the makers and distributors of opioid products.

The Las Animas County Commissioners began consideration on finding more room for the district attorney’s office needs.  Currently the DA and his staff are crammed into a small office space and the ability for private meetings is compromised.  The county commissioners began looking at rearranging some of the larger offices, such as the county finance office, so that more space can be found for the DA and his staff.

The commissioners will have a special meeting Tuesday and space for the DA is on the agenda.

The commissioners voted 2-0 to approve an easement over Vincent Street and Bonaventure Street so that the South Central Council of Governments’ professional building is fully accessible.  With this approval, the sale of the building to the hospital can be completed.

The returns in the sales tax approved by Las Animas County voters last November are greater than expected.   The county hasn’t release the exact numbers yet, except the amount the county has received in marijuana sales tax revenues, which amounts to around $44,000 over the first business quarter of 2018.  The county is now expecting to return to the voters seeking approval to keep the excess tax revenues, which may be greater than the 5.5% growth allowed under TABoR.

The commissioners went into executive session at 11:50 am.