We thank all of our community members and our partners for engaging in this 2020 Wildfire Debrief. We are delighted that so many of you share our concerns about the need for everyone to prepare for the inevitability of future wildfires and welcome your actions to reduce catastrophic loss.
2020 Wildfire Panel & Discussion Videos
Introductions to the Event
City of Boulder Discussion Video
Boulder County Discussion Video
Summary of Event:
The CU Center for Sustainable Landscapes and Communities (CSLC) and our integral partners welcomed all Boulder County and City members to join us for in an insightful and timely discussion about the recent wildfires in Boulder County. This interactive session provided an opportunity to engage with local fire professionals and managers of our forests to understand more deeply the complexities of forest management, wildfire suppression, mitigation and preparedness.
The session featured a short overview of the CalWood and Lefthand fires presented by local fire professionals and forest managers discussing topics related to fire suppression, weather conditions, evacuations and preliminary observations related to how previously mitigated forest areas responded to the wildfire. After the overview, participants divided into two breakout rooms for a facilitated dialogue and Q&A session with one room targeted for City of Boulder residents and the other for unincorporated Boulder County residents. Our goal was to allow participants to discuss topics and ask questions which are important to them and to learn more about existing wildfire related programs and resources within the areas they live.
Resources for City and County Residents
Resources for both City and County Residents
Take a guided hike as part of our ‘Take-a-hike’ series:
Boulder Office of Emergency Management (OEM) - The OEM plans, coordinates and supports a wide range of activities that help prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and large-scale emergencies while also reducing vulnerabilities to hazards.
Sign up for the Everbridge Emergency Alert System
National Fire Protection Association - Preparing homes for wildfire.
Ember Storms - Embers are small pieces of burning material that can travel more than a mile ahead of a wildfire. Embers are responsible for most damage during wildfires. They can accumulate on your home, deck, or porch and ignite plants, mulch, leaves, fencing, or furniture. They can also be forced into gaps in the home (e.g. attic vents or an open or broken window) and burn the home from the inside out.
Colorado Forest Atlas - The Colorado Forest Atlas is a web portal providing a suite of interactive mapping applications about Colorado’s forests. These applications provide Colorado citizens the best available information forest conditions and Colorado State Forest Service activities.
Understanding Wildfire Risk - Wildfire risk is based on several factors: likelihood, intensity, exposure and susceptibility. Understanding which factors affect your community can help you prioritize risk reduction.
Resources for City of Boulder Residents
Download the City of Boulder Fire-Rescue Wildfire Preparedness Guide - This document includes suggestions for 'Firewise' tree and shrub species, storing firewood, an evacuation plan and checklist, and preparing your home and yard.
More about preparing your home and yard – See the excellent “home ignition zone” information as well as a video regarding preparing your home that was developed by a very respectable scientist in the wildfire community, Jack Cohen.
Resources for Boulder County Residents
Please contact Maya at the Boulder Watershed Collective with questions or comments. fourmilewatershed@gmail.com
CalWood/Lefthand Wildfire Relief Fund - The 2020 Fires Relief Fund has been established, in partnership with Boulder County, to support individuals, families, and non-profit organizations affected by the CalWood and Lefthand Canyon fires.
Boulder County Wildfire Recovery Assistance - Contact Garry Sanfacon, Disaster Recovery Manager. Cell: 720.315.5371, gsanfacon@bouldercounty.org
Left Hand Watershed Center - Leading post-fire recovery and planning to restore the health of our forests.
CU time lapse camera of the CalWood fire.
Wildfire Partners - Wildfire Partners provides education to mountain and foothills residents on how to mitigate your home against the threat of wildfires. Upon acceptance to the program, a mitigation specialist will visit your property to do an assessment. You will receive a comprehensive report recommending actions to take. Upon completion of the required items you will receive a certification that can be used as proof of mitigation for insurance purposes.
Homeowners Insurance - United Policyholders: From Garry Sanfacon, Boulder County Disaster Recovery Manager: While doing wildfire mitigation, please check your homeowner’s insurance to verify that you are adequately insured. In most wildfires over 60% are underinsured which poses a significant barrier to rebuilding. To check if you are adequately insured look at your policy for Coverage A. Take that amount and divide by the amount of square feet of your home (don't include unimproved garage). This number will be how much per square feet you have to rebuild. The range for foothills and mountain homes in. Boulder County should fall in the $350-450 per square foot. If your number is below this then contact your insurance company and request that they increase your coverage.
This event was in partnership with:
The Boulder Watershed Collective
Lefthand Fire Department
Boulder County Sheriff’s Office
Boulder County Parks and Open Space
US Forest Service
City of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks Department
City of Boulder’s Fire Rescue
For questions, please contact us at centerslac@colorado.edu
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Support Our Work
This event is free to the public, but a $10 suggested donation is appreciated and encouraged. This will help support CSLC’s continued Boulder community outreach initiatives, research collaborations, and communication of the health and future of our landscapes and communities.