Nine of 10 wildfires on Forest Service land are caused by a careless human, according to government statistics, and with hiking, biking and camping seasons kicking into full gear, federal officials are bracing for another long, hot summer.

"People are excited and they want to get out and have fun and they sometimes forget that they have to be careful with fire, even if it's not that dry out," said Kristi Ponozzo, public affairs specialist for the White River National Forest. "It can rain one day and it's just as dangerous the next day as far as fires go."

So even in the spring, when the snow still is melting and afternoon showers are dampening the high country, Colorado's ongoing drought cycle has made the national forests ripe for wildfires.

Lightning certainly sparks its share of blazes on the state's public lands, but recreating humans by far do most of the damage.

"One of the biggest things is people having sensible campfires," Ponozzo said. "Not only having it in a fire ring with rock around it and not under tree branches, but also making sure the fires are completely out when they leave. You should be able to put your hand in the fire pit."

Ponozzo also strongly suggests spark arresters on motorcycles and chain saws and recommends people check their vehicles when driving through the forest to make sure they don't have chains dragging that might cause sparks to fly into dry grass or brush.

And people absolutely should not flick cigarette butts onto the forest floor. Besides the fact it's littering - and subject to a fine - smoldering butts cause an inordinate number of fires in national forests.

For backpackers and car campers, Ponozzo recommends propane camping stoves over charcoal or wood fires. Charcoal has to be completely out before it's dumped and wood fires repeatedly need to be stirred and have dirt dumped on them to make certain they're extinguished.

Propane shuts down with the twist of a valve.

The past two summers, such choices have been taken out of the hands of campers and hunters because of sweeping fire bans. If weather forecasts hold, especially for late summer, that could be the case again.

If a wildfire accidentally is started in the backcountry, or someone finds themselves in the middle of one, Ponozzo again urges common sense.

"Depending on how big fire is before it starts to spread, don't be a hero," she said. "If you can pour some water on it and put it out, then by all means do so; otherwise, get away from it as fast and far as you can."

Don't waste time trying to contact a ranger, she said. Call 911 on a cell phone, if available, or get to the nearest pay phone or nearby home with a phone to contact authorities.

Before heading into the backcountry, always check with local rangers to see what the fire danger is, if there are any fire bans and whether there are any fires in that area.