Homeowners can take a number of steps to protect their property and help alleviate the spread of wildland fires. Preventative measures include clearing excess fuel, creating defensible space around your home and using FireWise practices. Homeowners should be sensitive to the fact that fire is a natural part of our ecosystem.
 

Wildfire Defensible Zone
Due to Colorado’s arid climate and fire-dependent forests, many homeowners and landowners may be particularly vulnerable to wildfires. Fire is unpredictable and if there are weaknesses in your home’s fire protection plan, fire can gain the upper hand due to some overlooked or seemingly inconsequential factor. By creating a wildfire defensible zone, homes are less vulnerable from this naturally-occurring phenomenon and the chance of spreading wildfires is greatly reduced.
 

Ability to Survive Wildfires
2 factors have emerged as the primary determinants of a home’s ability to survive wildfires: choosing fire-resistant roofing material and creating a wildfire defensible zone. It is important to choose a fire-resistant roofing material that is rated Class C or higher when building a house in, or near, forests or grasslands. Avoid flammable materials such as wood or shake shingles.
 

Defensible Space
Defensible space is an area around a structure where fuels and vegetation are treated, cleared or reduced to slow the spread of wildfire toward the structure. It also reduces the chance of a structure fire moving from the building to the surrounding forest. Defensible space also provides room for firefighters to do their jobs. Your house is more likely to withstand a wildfire if grasses, brush, trees and other common forest fuels are managed to reduce a fire’s intensity.