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Crews already battling Colorado fires after recent blizzard

Several brush fires that broke out Wednesday afternoon are perfect examples of just how quickly grass can dry out.

Colorado has seen a lot of snow and rain this month, and now crews are already putting out wildfires.

On Wednesday, a wildfire flared up in Douglas County near Highway 85 and Airport Road. No one was injured and no buildings were burned. South Metro Fire Rescue said a dump truck hit some power lines, which sparked the fire.

Within an hour of getting that fire under control, a second fire broke out in Parker. The fire off Sandreed Circle burned closer to homes. Firefighters contained it to a creek bed and some trees.

Despite the recent moisture in those areas, fire crews said grass keeps them on their toes, especially once it's warmer outside. Grass is considered a "one-hour fuel" which means it will "react to the environment around it in one hour," Eric Hurst with South Metro Fire Rescue said. 

"As soon as moisture leaves us, we dry out. Throw some wind on there, some daytime heating and every hour that ticks by, the grass is reacting negatively and losing moisture," Hurst said. "It’s more available to burn."

Hurst said what would better help fire mitigation is "more frequent moisture in frequent increments" rather than one large compilation of snow or water before a weeks-long dry period.

"We can wind up in the same position we're in now," he said.

RELATED: Resources for wildfire season in Colorado

Last summer, West Metro Fire Rescue told 9NEWS most vegetation can be classified within the “hourly” system firefighters use to calculate the dryness of fire fuel. 

Small brush and bushes would fall under “ten-hour fuel,” Lt. Tyler Sugaski said. Larger bushes, small logs and timber between three and six inches in diameter would be considered “100-hour fuel.” Larger timber and trees are classified as “1,000-hour” fuels.

RELATED: The current snowpack means a wildfire season as bad as 2018 is unlikely

Firefighters can get useful information from all types of vegetation.

“One-hour and 10-hour [fuels] tell us, hey today it’s really dry. Or right now, these fuels are ready to go. They can burn very rapidly and sustain rapid fire growth,” Sugaski explained.

"Whereas those bigger fuels, 1,000-hour fuels, tell us long-term trends. How are we looking over the course of a season, over the course of the year? Where are we at in terms of drought indexes?”

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