Red Flag Warnings coupled with the threat for thunderstorms has our weather team very busy.
As we approach summer and the peak of our wildfire season, it's not hard to remember the devastation and destruction that the Waldo Canyon Fire caused back in 2012. The fire scorched more than 18,000 acres, and up until the Black Forest Fire the following year, it was the most destructive fire in Colorado's history.
The Waldo Canyon Fire was determined to be human-caused, but this time of the year, thunderstorms and dry lightning can also be blamed for starting wildfires.
The state of Colorado averages about 2,500 wildfires each year, with about half of all forest fires started by lightning.
The Decker Fire that burned almost 9,000 acres last September was started by a lightning strike.