KVNF FARM FRIDAY: On today’s KVNF Farm Friday we visit Mattics Orchard on High Mesa just outside of Olathe. KVNF tagged along with Valley Food Partnership as they bussed over 30 persons to four farms located in the Olathe area as part of Montrose County Fair week in July.
LEROUX FIRE: Progress is being made on the Leroux Fire burning north of Hotchkiss. The fire was recently listed at roughly 180 acres with approximately 35 percent containment.
Steve Lipsher, spokesperson for the incident team, spoke to KVNF on current fire suppression efforts. As of Wednesday at noon, the fire evacuation zone was down-graded to ‘pre-evacuation’ status and the evacuation check-in center in Hotchkiss has been closed.
While the evacuation status has changed, 3100 Road remains closed to those who do not live in the affected area.
With hot, dry days and low humidity, wild fires are becoming a daily event across the region. Lipsher said fire crews are taking a more agricultural approach to all fires to important values such as homes, watersheds and infrastructure.
Moving forward, during the fire season, home owners to build a ‘defensible space’ with minimal vegetation to create a buffer. Beyond taking care of property, Lipsher recommends that everyone keep an evacuation kit in their vehicle in case they are away from home and are evacuated.
MONTROSE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Commissioners will send the county’s current solar regulations back to the planning board for further consideration. The motion passed 2-1 with Commissioner Sue Hansen opposing the motion that will “kick the can down the road again”. Solar projects have been on pause for nearly two years.
