Chiefs and deputy chiefs from the Upper Pine and Los Pinos fire protection districts, Pagosa Springs fire department and Durango Fire & Rescue Authority held a news conference at Upper Pine Station No. 5 near Forest Lakes. Joining the fire officials in their presentation was Butch Knowlton, the director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness for La Plata County, and Brad Townsend, the sales and service manager for Amerigas in Bayfield.

"We've had more fires in the last six weeks than we have in a typical year," said Upper Pine Chief Rich Graeber.

Graeber said his department, in conjunction with Los Pinos, has responded to nine house fires since Thanksgiving, and all of the chiefs said the number of structure fires this year is more than any can remember.

They blame this winter's heavy snowfall, which officials say has wreaked havoc on natural-gas and propane systems. As the snow slides from rooftops, it damages exhaust pipes, exposing the gas to ignition sources. Other problems occur when gas regulators or propane tanks are buried in snow.

Many of the house fires have occurred in unoccupied second homes where homeowners are not present to view the damage. Gas-pipe damage is suspected in two recent house fires in Forest Lakes, although only one of the homes was unoccupied at the time of the fire.

"The fire department will come out to take a look, but it's your responsibility as a homeowner to do the actual work or pay someone to do it," said Los Pinos Chief Larry Behrens.

Now that much of the snow has melted in the lower elevations, concern has shifted to the high country where the same cycle that has claimed so many structures could start anew with the spring thaw.

"We're gravely afraid this will move up with the elevation changes," Graeber said, adding that the higher a home is in elevation the more difficult it is for firefighters to reach it. He said the fire departments want to be as proactive as possible in preventing problems, but it is a daunting task.

"We're trying to figure out how to knock on someone's door and say: 'Please don't use your fireplace right now because your flue pipe is lying on the roof,'" he said.

Knowlton, who doubles as La Plata County's head of building inspection, said his department is now included in the fire-inspection process, and that will allow him and his staff members to spread the chiefs' message. At an average of 5,000 building inspections each year, he hopes the word spreads quickly.

"There are people in this world who do not understand the function of some of the mechanical systems in their home, so we're using this as an educational process for people to understand and accept responsibility for those homeowner things they're supposed to be doing," Knowlton said.

"To think that La Plata County or the gas suppliers have an obligation to go around and shovel and safeguard every tank is not acceptable. There are certain things we as property owners must do to safeguard our homes," he said.

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