Colorado Project Wildfire

Welcome to the Colorado Project Wildfire Site!

Recent Marshall & Middle Fork Fires

Raising Money for Victims

First, and most obvious, are our efforts to raise money for victims. As you’ve likely already heard, the CAR Foundation has established the Boulder County Fire Relief Fund for the victims of the Marshall and Middle Fork fires. Over the last week, individual Colorado REALTORS® across the state donated more than $85,000 to the Relief Fund. CAR Leadership and the CAR Foundation pledged an additional $80,000 to create an “immediate need” grant fund to provide housing-related relief assistance to those impacted. If you’ve already made your tax-deductible financial contribution to this fund, thank you, and if you haven’t, please consider contributing to the CAR Foundation by clicking here. It is through this Relief Fund that we as REALTORS® can have a direct impact on victims of these catastrophic fires.

Share Your REALTOR® Expertise About Fire Preparedness
Clearly, just about every Colorado resident is now realizing “this could happen where I live.” We know that well over 50% of our state’s population lives in a wildfire-prone area, and that the threat of wildfire is a part of all Coloradan’s lives.

One of the best outcomes we can hope for is to share the information and resources our REALTOR® family has created with our clients, neighbors, and friends so that all of us can try to protect our homes and lives. We encourage you to visit our Colorado Project Wildfire website to gain access to this information and help you be the source to your clients and community network. Our website includes a wide range of toolkit resources, including downloadable Property and Insurance Wildfire Preparedness Guide (also available in hard copy), Emergency Alert Sign Ups, tip sheets on Making Your Home Fire Resistant; and Action Guide checklists for wildfire evacuations and mitigation recommendations. There are also links to many local, state, and federal agencies and organizations with the resources you and your clients need to help protect their property and themselves.

We Want to Help in Your Community

In addition, we are actively looking to engage with each of you to create and/or enhance wildfire mitigation programs in your local community. If you have interest in establishing a program in your market or grow the one you already have, we’d love to share our experiences to create an effective local program. There are also additional resources, including Colorado Project Wildfire Grant opportunities.

As our most engaged members of the association and our industry, you are our greatest ambassadors. We look forward to working with you to help establish and grow our Colorado Project Wildfire reach, and we ask that you please contact us with your questions and willingness to be a part of the solution in your community.

Sincerely,

Ulrich Salzgeber

Chair, Colorado Project Wildfire

Colorado Project Wildfire Resources

Local Resources

Colorado Project Wildfire Tool Kit

Homeowners can take steps to protect their property and help alleviate the spread of wildland fires. Many Coloradans living in the foothills in ponderosa and lodgepole forests need to consider the fire-prone nature of these ecosystems.

Below are some tools to help alleviate the spread of wildland fires:

Due to Colorado’s arid climate and fire-dependent forests, many homeowners and landowners may be particularly vulnerable to wildfires. It is important to keep this threat in mind when buying or building a home.

Fire is unpredictable. If there are weaknesses in your home’s fire protection scheme, fire can gain the upper hand because of some overlooked or seemingly inconsequential factor. By creating wildfire-defensible zones, homes are less vulnerable from this naturally occurring phenomenon and the chance of spreading wildfires is greatly reduced. Learn more from the links below or visit the Colorado State University by clicking here.

Sources:
International Association of Fire Chief’s RSG Program
USDA Forest Service
U.S. Dept. of the Interior
U.S. Fire Administration
Colorado State University

Colorado Project Wildfire Programs

While there are many tools available to help educate people about Wildfire prevention and the ways to reduce your risk, Colorado REALTORS® strongly believe in tapping into the numerous local programs and fire prevention resources available in communities throughout the state as the most up-to-date, geographically-focused information available to Colorado residents. Through our Project Wildfire Program, Colorado REALTORS® are working in partnership with other like-minded fire prevention organizations across our state to bring education and awareness, as well as access to resources directly to residents in their local communities.

Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan (FAIR) Association: The purpose of the FAIR Plan is to provide property insurance to residential and commercial owners who cannot participate in the market due to nonrenewal or unattainable premiums. LEARN MORE>>

Insurance Coverage for Loss Declared Wildfire Disaster: The law requires insurers to cover the full cost of rebuilding, replacement, and repair to current building code. The law also mandates insurers to comply with minimum requirements in offering, issuing, or renewing homeowners insurance policies. Homeowners have more time to replace and rebuild property in the same or new location. Insurers must include an additional living expense coverage in the event of a loss from wildfire (declared disaster) of at least two years. LEARN MORE>>

Insurance Companies Required to Notify Coverage Cancellation or renewal refusal 60 days (from 30 days):  LEARN MORE>>

WUI Code Board: By July 1, 2025, the board must adopt statewide building codes and standards to reduce the wildfire risk to people and property. The rules must define the wildland urban interface (WUI), identify which areas of the state lay within WUIs, and adopt minimum codes to protect life and property. The rules must consider the fiscal, environmental and safety impacts of adopting the codes, and must apply to permitting and inspections of new construction and substantial remodels. LEARN MORE>>

The Wildfire Resilient Homes Grant Program: To increase resiliency to wildfire by retrofitting or improving residential and nonresidential structures. LEARN MORE>>

Tax Exemption: Provide financial relief through sales and use tax exemptions for materials necessary to the repair or rebuilding of a dwelling affected by wildfire. LEARN MORE>>

Colorado State Forest Service: To conduct community outreach and education to landowners in high wildfire hazard areas on best mitigation practices. Tax credit for landowners who perform wildfire mitigation on their property up to $625. LEARN MORE>>

Forest Restoration & Wildfire Risk Mitigation Grant Program: This program provides state support through competitive grant funds that encourage community-level actions across the state for some specific purposes. LEARN MORE>>

Forest Suppression Ponds: In areas where there is not enough water for all uses, ponds that are constructed rather than existing as features of nature, even those that have existed for decades, must have a legal means of storing or exposing water to evaporation. LEARN MORE>>

Disaster Resilience Rebuilding Program: The program is available to assist homeowners, businesses, local governments and communities rebuild after natural disasters and is intended to help local communities and the state recover from the devastating physical and economic effects of natural disasters.n. LEARN MORE>>

Wildfire Ready Program

• Wildfire Ready Guide
• Wildfire Ready Guide PDF brochure
• IBHS Wildfire Ready Release

CASE STUDIES

Wildfire Partners: When Lester Karplus moved to the mountains near Nederland, Colorado he knew it was a matter of “when not if” his log home would be in the path of a wildfire. That day arrived in July 2016 when the Cold Springs Fire forced 1,900 residents to flee “100-foot” flames on a moment’s notice. While eight neighboring homes burned, Karplus’ home and seven others in the path of the fire survived — all participating in Wildfire Partners, Boulder County’s community wildfire mitigation program that provides homeowners with a comprehensive on-site property risk assessment that includes step-by-step mitigation needs, resources, a consumer-help line and follow-up inspections. The result – a coveted “Wildfire Partners Certified” yard sign and reduced wildfire risk. Many insurance companies accept Wildfire Partners assessment to meet their mitigation requirements. Karplus says homeowners buying in wildfire-prone areas need to ask themselves: “Are we willing to be caretakers of the land?” If the answer is yes, they must understand the inevitable risk of living with wildfire and the long-term commitment needed to protect their property. For more information: wildfirepartners.org.

REALFire®: After living in his Beaver Creek condominium for two decades, Michael Benge purchased a home on the mountain and knew it was a “no brainer” to evaluate necessary fire mitigation work — both in terms of creating defensible space around his new home, as well as fire-resistive materials in new construction. Benge was thrilled to learn from his HOA that he could receive a free, on-site wildfire risk property assessment through the REALFire® program, thanks to support from Eagle County, the Vail Board of REALTORS®, and other local partners.

Benge believes homeowners throughout WUI communities would benefit by taking advantage of the voluntary opportunities to become more educated on wildfire risk, and the available mitigation resources to enhance the beauty of their property and invest in the safety and value of their home. Resources: REALFire.net

(April 30, 2020) Safer at Home Allows Time for Wildfire Season Preparation for More than Half of State’s Residents Living in WUI: May 2 marks 7^th annual Wildfire Community Preparedness Day and kickoff to Wildfire Awareness Month. While COVID-19 has changed facets of Coloradans’ personal and professional lives and required residents everywhere to stay at home, for more than half of the state’s population who live in a wildfire prone area, the stay at home and safer at home mandates present an opportunity to prepare for the upcoming wildfire season.>> READ MORE

(May 1, 2019) MAY 4 MARKS 6^TH ANNUAL WILDFIRE COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS DAY: With more than half of the state’s population now living in or near areas that are prone to wildland fire, public and private organizations across the state are teaming up as a part of Wildfire Community Preparedness Day (May 4) to educate and help Colorado residents to prepare for the growing threats created by wildfires. >>Learn more

(November 26, 2018) Half of Coloradans Now Live in Areas at Risk to Wildfires: The number of people living in areas at risk to the effects of wildland fire increased by nearly 50 percent from 2012 to 2017, based on new Colorado Wildfire Risk Assessment data released this week by the Colorado State Forest Service. As of 2017, approximately 2.9 million people live in Colorado’s wildland-urban interface (WUI) – the area where human improvements are built close to, or within, natural terrain and flammable vegetation – compared to 2 million people just five years earlier. The new figure represents approximately half of the state’s total population. >> MORE

(June 3, 2018) What to do when you’re put on pre-evacuation notice for a wildfire? As summer kicks in, more and more wildfires are popping up across Colorado. >>MORE

(July 13, 2017) West Region Wildfire Council offers fire risk property checks. MONTROSE – With fire danger lurking, there is a way to protect your home if you live in the Montrose-Delta area. >>MORE

(June 12, 2017) Consumer Advisory: Preparing for the 2017 wildfire season. DENVER – In April, Colorado’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control issued its 2017 wildfire outlook for the state.>> MORE

(September 14, 2016) The Summit Association of REALTORS (SAR) Awards Defensible Space Grants. SAR has long been committed to residential fire mitigation efforts. Now it’s time to up its game. “Our board decided to take the next step,” said Sarah Thorsteinson, the CEO of SAR. “Instead of educating we decided to assist.” >>MORE

(May 25, 2016) Colorado Association of REALTORS® and West Region Wildfire Council Bring REALTOR® and Homeowner Wildfire Awareness and Education Program to West/Southwest Colorado. Read the press release. See the Montrose Daily Article. See the Ouray Article.

(August 3, 2015) Study Shows People Are Aware of Wildfire Danger : People living in areas at high risk for wildfires are aware of the danger but underestimate the peril when compared with firefighting professionals, according to a new study led by a University of Colorado researcher. >>MORE

(June 29 2015) Summit County Set to Start Summer Chipping Program: Summit County’s wood chipping program is set to go, with crews coming out to neighborhoods starting June 29. Crews will make two sweeps through each neighborhood between June and October, picking up piles of unwanted slash from the curb. >>MORE

(April 2015) Wildfire season starts slow for 2nd year in a row: Western wildfires have always been shape-shifting beasts, roaring to life wherever there is hot and dry weather, wind and fuel. But last year’s relatively cool and wet summer brought relief to parts of the region — including Colorado — that had been especially hard the previous few years. >>MORE