Fire danger high ahead of May artillery training at Piñon Canyon

Fort Carson officials expect soldiers to fire training artillery for the first time in May across the expansive Piñon Canyon Maneuver Training Site northwest of Trinidad, sparking concerns about fire amid drought conditions.

“I think it’s dangerously dry,” said Doug Holdread, a Trinidad resident, who noted  southern Colorado has felt like spring for much of the winter, with only one large snowstorm he could recall.

In February, officials presented plans to residents in the region to fire 155-millimeter training artillery shells during a month-long, large-scale training in May. The training shells contain a half pound of TNT, which could ignite a fire, according to Fort Carson documents…

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