Wildfires

DENVER — Lawmakers warned Tuesday that it's only a question of time before a major wildfire strikes Colorado's beetle-ravaged trees on the Western Slope and they said the state isn't prepared. State forestry officials said less than half the communities in the state are prepared for a major wildfire after pine beetles destroyed 1.5 million acres of lodgepole pine. They said spruce beetles and other insect infestations have left hundreds of thousands of residents at risk for losing their lives and homes. Kallam said the federal government has the ability to begin disaster preparations at the first hint a hurricane will strike, but there is no similar program to react in advance to the threat of a major wildfire. Rick Cables, regional forester for the U.S. Forest Service, said efforts are being focused on treating trees near urban areas to limit the potential damage.