Take action to protect your home from wildfire

Read The Home Ignition Zone, a guide prepared by the Colorado State Forest Service, to preparing your home for wildfire and creating space that wildfire responders can defend (also known as defensible space).  This guide has photos of the 416 fire in La Plata County showing that defensible space works!

Wildfires are a natural part of Colorado’s forest health. If you live in Colorado where homes and other structures intermingle with flammable vegetation, you are at risk of being affected by wildfire. To understand the risk to your parcel click here to view La Plata County Hazard Risk Maps. Planning ahead and taking action can increase the likelihood that you can evacuate safely and that your home will survive a wildfire.

Firefighters always do their best to reduce fire damage, but ultimately, it is your responsibility to protect your property from wildfire. Taking practical steps to prepare your home does not guarantee it will survive a wildfire, but it does improve the odds that it will survive. Any work completed may also allow firefighters who might be present to safely engage the fire and attempt to protect your property. If fire and site conditions are unsafe, firefighters cannot stay to protect your home.

As you address defensible space on your property, always start with the home or structure and work outwards. Remember, taking action to prepare for wildfire is not a one-time effort,  it requires ongoing maintenance to give your home the best chance of surviving a wildfire. Also important is to speak with your insurance agent to understand if your home has the protection it needs. Here is helpful information prepared by Durango Fire as well as questions to ask your agent.