How to reduce wildfire risk at home
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After an unusually dry winter, fire officials are warning of heightened wildfire risk and urging residents to start preparing now.
Why it matters: As climate change intensifies wildfire risk, urban homeowners are increasingly on the front lines, making prevention a shared responsibility.
Driving the news: At the Colorado Wildland Fire Conference last month, Lyons planning director Lisa Ritchie said residents must take steps to protect their homes.
- "We need to change the conversation from 'What is everyone else going to do?' to 'What am I going to do?'" Ritchie said.
- Fire Adapted Colorado, the conference host, said every $1 spent on prevention is worth $6 of recovery.
Threat level: The 2021 Marshall Fire was not only the most destructive blaze in Colorado history, it was a reminder that traditional understandings of fire season and high-risk areas have changed.
- "I think our public awareness is dramatically increased as we continue to see these wildfires in these historically nontraditional areas," said Ritchie, who worked as a Louisville city planner before moving to Lyons after the Marshall Fire.
What you can do: Here's how you can make your home and property more fire resilient:
🔥 Create "defensible space" around your home
- Remove dry vegetation, brush, mulch and debris near structures.
- Trim trees and keep branches away from roofs and siding.
- Consider removing or replacing highly flammable juniper shrubs.
- Keep flammable items like firewood piles at least 30 feet from your home.
🏡 "Harden" your home itself against ignition
- Use fire-resistant building materials where possible.
- Identify and fix weak spots in roofs, vents, siding and decks.
- Install 1/8-inch metal mesh over vents to keep out embers.
- Clean leaves and pine needles out of gutters and roofs.
🧑🚒 Get an expert opinion
- Request a home assessment from Boulder Fire-Rescue in the city of Boulder or Wildfire Partners in unincorporated Boulder County.
- Boulder County will host a fire resilience training for realtors 9:30am–2pm Monday in Lafayette.
The bottom line: Small steps now can mean the difference between saving your home and losing it in a wildfire.