Click the link to read the article on The Aspen Daily News website (Lucy Peterson). Here’s an excerpt:
April 17, 2026
Roaring Fork Valley governments and fire and law enforcement agencies are gearing up for what is anticipated to be a much warmer and drier summer than normal. The Roaring Fork Valley is experiencing a “record breaking year” for drought, snowfall and snowpack, Erin Walter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said during a press briefing Thursday with multiple local emergency management and fire leaders. The agencies are emphasizing both individual preparedness and cross-agency preparedness in hopes of mitigating wildfires or minimizing the damage of wildfires if they occur this summer.
“Wildfires are inevitable,” said Ali Hammond, director of wildfire resilience for Aspen Fire. “Wildfire disasters are preventable.”
Local leaders are encouraging individuals to make their own wildfire preparedness plans, like building a go-bag and establishing an evacuation plan. They’re also urging homeowners to harden their homes and ensure the first 5 feet around their homes is cleared of any vulnerable vegetation…Agencies across the valley are changing evacuation frameworks to “ready, set, go,” which they will use when notifying residents about wildfire risk in their area. They’re also trying to improve their messaging on wildfire risks, like red flag warnings and what different stages of a fire ban mean. Local officials are working to prevent wildfires from a number of angles. But it can be difficult under unprecedented circumstances. The city of Aspen is currently under stage two drought restrictions. Erin Loughlin-Molliconi, the city of Aspen’s utilities director, said the city is considering more stringent measures because of the persistent, dry conditions.
