Monsoon rains could ease Colorado's wildfire danger

State of play: This week's storms offered a reprieve, but weekend heat and dry air are next on the calendar before a classic monsoon pattern is forecast to take hold later this month. The typical season is June 15 through September.

• Federal fire forecasters say this year's monsoon season will likely start in mid-July, later than normal, and they expect above-normal precipitation in the Southwest and Four Corners.
• More clouds, higher humidity and recurring rain chances can blunt the "hot, dry and windy" setup that lets fires run fast.

Threat level: Colorado is battling several blazes at once, including the Willow, Snyder, Gold Mountain, Ferris and Aspen Acres fires.

• Drought was affecting nearly 93% of Colorado as of June 30, and about 9% of the state was in exceptional drought, the most serious rating, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

What they're saying: "I think to some extent, we are all looking for some reason to be optimistic," Russ Schumacher, state climatologist, told the Coloradoan. "There are no guarantees, but there is reason to be cautiously optimistic."

Caveat: Not all thunderstorms help. High winds and lightning from June 23 to 26 ignited many fires across the Southwest, Utah and Colorado, and the dry, windy weather afterward helped the fires grow rapidly, experts noted.

• Burn scars are the other danger zone for flash-flood and debris-flow risks because burned soils shed water quickly, and debris flows can start after only minutes of heavy rain.