Homeowners can take steps to protect their property and help alleviate the spread of wildland fires. Many Coloradans living in the foothills in ponderosa and lodgepole forests need to consider the fire-prone nature of these ecosystems.

Below are some tools to help alleviate the spread of wildland fires:

• Create Defensible Space Around A Home (See Chart Below)
• Reduce The Structural Ignitability Of The Home
• Use FireWise Practices
• Make Your Home Fire Resistant
• Create An Action Guide

DEFENSIBLE SPACE ZONES

Defensible space is the area around a home or other structure that has been modified to reduce fire hazard. In this area, natural and manmade fuels are treated, cleared or reduced to slow the spread of wildfire. Creating defensible space also works in the reverse, and reduces the chance of a structure fire spreading to neighboring homes or the surrounding forest. Defensible space gives your home a fighting chance against an approaching wildfire. Creating an effective defensible space involves a series of management zones in which different treatment techniques are used.

Due to Colorado’s arid climate and fire-dependent forests, many homeowners and landowners may be particularly vulnerable to wildfires. It is important to keep this threat in mind when buying or building a home.

Fire is unpredictable. If there are weaknesses in your home’s fire protection scheme, fire can gain the upper hand because of some overlooked or seemingly inconsequential factor. By creating wildfire-defensible zones, homes are less vulnerable from this naturally occurring phenomenon and the chance of spreading wildfires is greatly reduced. Learn more from the links below or visit the Colorado State University by clicking here.

Colorado Property & Insurance Wildfire Preparedness Guide

~Colorado Association of Realtors