Wildfires are a fact of life in Boulder County.
Although in the past West Boulder County was considered the most vulnerable, recent history has demonstrated wildfires can happen anywhere and at any time of year. What wildfire mitigation actions can individuals and communities take to reduce risk?
“The time to prepare is before smoke is in the air, being proactive cannot be overstated,” says Abby Silver, Outreach Program Coordinator for Wildfire Partners, a county tax-funded wildfire mitigation program whose mission is to educate, motivate, and support Boulder County residents in preparing for wildfires.
Initiated in 2014, the Wildfire Partners program targeted individual homeowners in the western forested part of the County, providing individual home assessments and advice on standards for wildfire hardening; fire-prevention practices that create defensible space around a home and mitigate the risk of ignition. In 2022, County voters approved a .01% wildfire mitigation sales tax, enabling Wildfire Partners to scale up to bring wildfire resiliency best practices, education, and targeted programs to the entire County.
Wildfire Partners offers the following tips for wildfire mitigation. For a deeper dive into these topics and programs available to get you started visit wildfirepartners.org.
Fire Prevention
Given that 90% of wildfires are human-caused, it’s important to know when risk is elevated. The National Weather Service issues Red Flag Warnings when there’s an increased risk of fire danger due to high temperatures, low humidity, and/or high winds. If Boulder County or your municipality is under a Red Flag or High Wind warning, or under Stage 1 or Stage 2 Fire Restrictions, follow these precautions:
- Avoid the use of machinery that could cause sparks outdoors including lawnmowers, heavy equipment, or welding equipment.
- Do not park cars or motorcycles on tall or dry grass.
- Avoid charcoal grilling, campfires, and fireworks.
- Don’t toss flaming or lit materials including cigarettes or ashes onto the ground.
Check with your municipality or the Boulder County Sheriff to sign up for Red Flag status updates and other emergency notifications or visit bocoalert.org.
A Defensible Home
While there is no silver bullet, there are best practices for modifying your Home Ignition Zone (your structure and the defensible space around it). Science has shown that conditions within 100 feet of a home can determine whether a structure can survive wildfire.
- Create and maintain a noncombustible zone of at least 5 feet around your home’s perimeter by removing all vegetation and replacing it with gravel, stone, brick, or concrete.
- Use non-combustible or low-flammable materials for all or sections of your fence. Most importantly, use non-combustible materials for at least the 5-8 feet of fencing that directly contacts your home.
- Remove junipers, which in the fire community are also known as “green gasoline”.
- Create a 30’ short grass buffer zone around buildings. Rake and remove grass.
- Keep up with thinning, pruning, and cutting back dead landscaping plants.
- Home vents are common entry points for fire embers. Cover vents with a 1/8” screen or replace them with wildfire-resilient vents. Appliance exhaust vents should not be modified. If in doubt, consult a professional.
- Keep gutters free of debris.
- Remove accumulated debris near the home that can collect combustible material such as leaves and trash.
- Download the Colorado State Forest Service Home Ignition Zone Guide: A guide to preparing your home
for wildfre and creating defensible space.
Be Prepared to Go
According to Wildfire Partners, one of the easiest ways to improve outcomes is to prepare for an event in case it does happen. Consider implementing the following preparedness measures:
- Store documents in the cloud or offsite. Scan important documents and photos and ensure you have an electronic copy of your insurance policy.
- Keep your homeowner’s insurance policy up to date and check annually to make sure your coverage is adequate. Maintain an updated home inventory.
- Create a family evacuation plan (including your pets!) and choose a meet-up spot.
- Consider including neighbors who cannot drive or may need help in your plans.
Wildfire Partners’ Community Mitigation Programs
Though individual home assessments are still available in West Boulder County, Silver explains that in areas where there are multiple homes less than 60 feet apart, community mitigation is key. “In denser neighborhoods, wildfire is a collective risk. To be truly effective, neighbors must organize and work together to build resiliency and improve outcomes.”
To that end, Wildfire Partners is deploying resources and offering a suite of community programs promoting and supporting collective action in East County (all require a single point of contact liaison):
- Chipping Events: homeowners collaborate to dispose of small branches, twigs, brush, tree branches, and limbs from their properties.
- Education and Outreach Events: The Outreach and Education team is available to do presentations, table at community events, and hold Q&A sessions.
- Advising: For HOA boards, neighborhood committees, and other groups involved in mitigation planning.
- Mitigation Planning: Assistance with the creation of a cohesive strategy. Modeled after the National Fire Protection Association’s Firewise USA™ program.
- Rebate Programs
- Mark your calendar to check their website for 2026 programs.
