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Get Prepared

What can I do before a fire?

The potential for loss of life and property due to wildfire is a reality in our fire dependent ecosystem. There are proven steps that residents, visitors and our community can take before a fire to improve our survivability and resiliency.

a home with attached deck and garage

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Chimney

Embers can enter and exit. Install a screen with a spark arrestor cap.
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Skylight

Skylights should be well sealed with metal flashing installed around edges if possible.
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Roof

Class A is the most fire-resistant and the safest choice. Common Class A roof coverings include asphalt fiberglass composition shingles and concrete or clay tiles. Keep roofs free of needles and leaves.
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Dormers

Dormers for connecting levels of the roof or where windows protrude collect embers that will heat the siding. Install metal flashing along dormer edges.
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Gutters

Debris collected in gutters (including embers rolling off your roof). The debris, and gutters themselves, can ignite. Keep gutters regularly cleaned.
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Windows

Windows usually break before the structure ignites. Install windows that are at least double-glazed and that utilize tempered glass for the exterior pane.
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Exterior Walls

Use noncombustible exterior siding materials, such as stucco, brick, cement board and steel. At a minimum install a non-combustible material for the first grade 6 ft. above grade. Log homes with fire-rated chinking or notched logs are also good choices.
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Eaves

Embers circulate in the underside of eaves. Enclose the underside of eaves with fiber cement board or 5/8-inch-thick, high-grade plywood. If enclosing eaves is not possible, fill gaps under open eaves with caulk.
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Vents

All vent openings (gable, soffit, crawl space, laundry) should be covered with 1/8-inch or smaller wire mesh, or install ember-resistant vents.
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Decks

Attachments, such, as decks, will carry fire to the home. Consider using noncombustible or ignition resistant materials and keep surface clear of debris.  Enclose beneath decks and stairs up to decks so that embers and debris cannot collect below.
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Fences

A fence attached to the home or a shed can carry fire to the structure and ignite it. Install noncombustible or ignition resistant materials either for the entire fence, or in the 5 ft. at the junction of the fence meeting a structure : Metals including aluminum, steel and copper provide a more durable option.
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Doors

Install doors that fit snuggly and  have no gaps. Using solid core doors provides additional resistance. Sliding glass doors are the most vulnerable and should have tempered glass.
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Garages

Install ignition resistant or noncombustible framing materials (e.g., metal or metal - clad wood). Ensure any weather stripping is in good condition and provides a tight seal. On Red Flag days, keep garages closed.

Make My Home Fire Safe
This helpful video is about preparing your home. Use arrows on the left to understand where a home is vulnerable to embers.
Home Hardening means taking steps to reduce the vulnerability of homes to embers and heat that accompany most wildfires.

  • For details specific to each arrow, visit the Society for Fire Protection Engineer's virtual handbook. 
  • Sign up for a Wildfire Risk Assessment.
  • Visit our Resource page for loads of information including a home hardening checklist.
  • Learn what it means to be ember aware.
This iconography was used with permission from University of Nevada, Reno Extension and the Living With Fire Program.
home and garage with rings of home ignition zones surrounding

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Noncombustible Area

Also referred to as Home Ignition Zone 1; the first 5 feet around the base of your home and attachments should be kept free of all combustible materials, including wood mulches, dead or dry vegetation and other debris. Use bare soil, gravel, rock or flagstone.
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Intermediate Area

Also referred to as Home Ignition Zone 2; keep the residential landscape area located between 5 feet to 30 feet from the home lean, clean and green. Have only a small amount of flammable vegetation that is not above the home or deck, with no accumulation of dead vegetation or ladder fuels. Use plants that are distanced, healthy, green and irrigated during the hot, dry summer.
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Extended Area

Also referred to as Home Ignition Zone 3; beyond your residential landscape, and beginning at 30 feet from your structure and attachments, remove dead vegetation, create spaces between shrubs and trees and their canopies, and remove low tree branches and shrubs under trees.

Create a Defensible Space
Every home has an invisible Home Ignition Zone (HIZ), concentric rings, around the home that provide ember and flame resistance to fire spreading to the house.  

This iconography was used from San Diego County Fire Protection District Sandiegocounty.gov 
Neighborhood evac

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Secondary Road

A second access road to improve traffic flow during an emergency.
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Street Signs

Post street signs at each intersection that and are made of reflective, noncombustible material.
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Bridges and Culverts

Post load limits on bridges and culverts leading to your home. Post-fire flooding is common, ensure culverts are cleared of debris.
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Turnarounds

When possible, create turnouts on long driveways to allow 2-way traffic.
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Driveway Clearance

Remove flammable vegetation for 10 feet from both sides of the driveway, and overhead to provide at least a 13 ½-foot vertical clearance.
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Address Signs

Install address signs that use contrasting noncombustible reflective material with characters at least 6 inches high. If your home is not visible from the road, place address signs at entrance and on the home. When multiple homes are accessible from a single entrance, clearly address each residence.
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Road Width and Grade

20-foot wide roads and 12-foot wide driveways with a 12 percent or less steepness grade increase emergency access to a neighborhood.
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Turnarounds

Long driveways should have a turnaround area suitable for a 3-point turn or a cul-de-sac with at least a 45-foot radius.
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Gated Roads and  Driveways

Electronically operated driveway gates require key access for local fire departments and districts.
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Parking

Leave your vehicle in areas out of the way for emergency vehicles to access neighborhoods, driveways, and space to turn around.

Ensure Emergency Access to My Neighborhood and Home
Good access helps emergency responders arrive in a timely manner and facilitates safe evacuation. If you have concerns about your access, contact your local fire district.

Sign up for Code Red, the County emergency management notification system.

This iconography was used with permission from University of Nevada, Reno Extension and the Living With Fire Program.

How Homes Burn

Make My Community Safer
Community safety begins at your front door. The efforts made on your property reduce the risk of high fire severity. Here are some examples demonstrating the strength of mitigation. 

This iconography was used with permission from University of Nevada, Reno Extension and the Living With Fire Program.

animas city mountain RX burn

Plan My Safe Evacuation
The following are checklists you can download now to plan, practice, and share with everyone in your home so that you're organized in the moment.

If your household receives an evacuation notice, it will list the location of an evacuation site where you can check in and receive credentials for re-entry once it's declared safe.

What do I do after the fire

Considerations After Wildfire
A wildfire could impact our water supply and transportation routes, or cause damage to your property and home. 

  • Ash, smoke and other containments are harmful to your health, be prepared with gloves and respirators or face masks. Be on the look out for trees and structural components that could fall and any occurrence of smoke.
  • Once you are allowed to reenter your residence take photos and reach your insurance.
  • Verify utilities are working properly.
  • Soil erosion becomes a major concern after wildfire. Several techniques are available for controlling erosion, including reseeding, the use of a straw mulch, and felling damaged trees across a slope. Planting of conservation grasses like crested wheatgrass can also help control erosion.
This iconography was used with permission from University of Nevada, Reno Extension and the Living With Fire Program.

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Quick Links

CO State Wildfire Risk Map   Wildfire Risk Assessment