Due to Colorado’s arid climate, topagraphy and fire-dependent forests, many homeowners and landowners are particularly vulnerable to wildfires. It is important to keep this in mind when buying, building and/or maintaining your home or property. Homeowners can take steps to protect their property and help alleviate the spread of wildland fires.
Wildfire Mitigation & Preparedness Services
- Defensible space around the home
- The home’s structural ignitability
- The strategic placement of fuelbreaks
Together, two of these factors create a concept called the Home Ignition Zone (HIZ), which includes the structure and the space immediately surrounding the structure. To protect a home from wildfire, the primary goal should be to reduce or eliminate fuels and ignition sources within the HIZ and to reduce the home’s structural ignitability by choosing noncombustible construction materials.
Photo Courtesy CSFS
In addition to mitigating fuels in the HIZ, shaded fuel breaks can provide added protection to a home or property. When strategically placed on the landscape, a shaded fuel break is designed to slow a running crown fire by changing the vertical and horizontal continuity of fuels so that fire behavior lessens, dropping the fire from the crown of the trees to the forest floor. These breaks are described as “shaded” because they do not require that all trees be removed from the fuel break.
Roadside Shaded Fuel Break for Ingress/Egress
Roadside Shaded Fuel Break for Ingress Egress
Contact SBF to find out more about acquiring financial assistance for your fire mitigation project!
You will not find a more qualified expert on the Western Slope of Colorado to inform you of your wildfire risk than our staff at SBF. Forester Austin Shelby has worked with landowners, communities, state and federal agencies, fire protection districts and local non-profits for over 15 years to reduce wildfire risk. SBF will work with our partners at the West Region Wildfire Council to leverage funding for your project. Keep your family safe while protecting and adding value to your investment.
Testimonial
“I have worked with Austin in a professional capacity for over 10 years on all aspects of dozens and dozens of wildfire mitigation and fuels reductions projects. In addition to being incredibly skilled and knowledgeable in his profession, Austin communicates clearly, exhibits attention to detail and follows through with what he says he will do. Whatever your forestry related needs or concerns may be, Austin will work hard to achieve desired outcomes for you and your property.”