Joe Biden: Cameron Peak, CalWood fires are 'deadly signs' of climate change

Colorado's Cameron Peak and CalWood fires show that climate change poses an "imminent, existential threat to our way of life," Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said in a statement Monday as the blazes continued to grow over the Front Range.

The statement was the first time a major party presidential candidate has name-checked the Cameron Peak fire, which has ballooned to more than 203,000 acres since it ignited in August and is now the largest fire in state history. The Calwood Fire in Boulder County ignited Saturday and rapidly grew to nearly 9,000 acres, triggering evacuations for thousands of Jamestown and Boulder County residents.

What we know Monday:Cameron Peak Fire grows little Sunday, but windy weather returning Monday

In his statement, Biden said he and his wife, Jill Biden, "are keeping Coloradans in our thoughts" and thanked first responders for their work to move the fires toward containment. 

"We stand with families in Colorado who have had their lives upended from the damage and the need to evacuate, exacerbating the already challenging situation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic," Biden said.

Biden added that the science is definitive on climate change. The impacts of climate change, including rising temperatures and earlier snowmelt, lead to drier vegetation and soils that combine with hot weather to create larger, faster-spreading wildfires than historically seen in the West.

"We need to act now to avoid a future defined by mounting disasters brought on by climate change," Biden said. "We can, and we must, come together to build a better future for our children and our communities."

Biden's platform on climate change pledges net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, recommitment to the Paris Climate Accord and creation of an enforcement mechanism by 2025 with milestone targets for clean energy and emission reductions.

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Here is Biden's full statement:

"As the Cameron Peak Fire reaches over 200,000 acres, becoming the largest wildfire in Colorado history, and the CalWood Fire continues to grow, Jill and I are keeping Coloradans in our thoughts. We stand with families in Colorado who have had their lives upended from the damage and the need to evacuate, exacerbating the already challenging situation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. We extend our tremendous thanks to the brave first responders throughout Larimer and Boulder County who have been working diligently on the containment of these fires.

"The science is clear, and deadly signs like these are unmistakable — climate change poses an imminent, existential threat to our way of life. We need to act now to avoid a future defined by mounting disasters brought on by climate change. We can, and we must, come together to build a better future for our children and our communities. In the meantime, Jill and I urge everyone in the path of the wildfires to stay safe and heed the guidance of local officials as our courageous firefighters work to contain the ongoing fires."

Jacy Marmaduke covers government accountability for the Coloradoan. Follow her on Twitter @jacymarmaduke. Support stories like this one by purchasing a digital subscription to the Coloradoan.