DENVER – On the heels of the state’s three largest wildfires on record in 2020, and with two wildfires erupting within the Denver-metro area in February 2021, many wildland fire professionals have issued dire warnings of what’s to come in the year ahead due to Colorado’s pervasive drought conditions and predictions of a hot, dry and windy year ahead.

Despite near record-setting March snow seen across much of the state, overall conditions have not changed significantly and the concerns and challenges facing local, state and federal wildland firefighters, as well as millions of Colorado residents, becomes even greater as the calendar turns to the most challenging months of the year.

With Wildfire Preparedness Day on Saturday, May 1 and Wildfire Awareness Month in May, wildfire, insurance and REALTOR^® professionals are encouraging the nearly 3 million Colorado residents living in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) to prepare their homes and communities for wildfire in the weeks and months ahead.

The spring outlook points to “above normal” potential for large wildfires through May and “above normal significant fire potential” is predicted to continue, expanding in June across southern Colorado and into the central part of the state by the second half of the month, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Traditionally, Colorado faces the most wildfires during August and September depending on rainfall.

As the debate between funding for wildfire suppression vs. mitigation efforts continues, this year’s legislative session has included a mix of proposed bills receiving bipartisan support for both sides of the wildfire equation as well. In late March, Gov. Jared Polis signed a pair of wildfire mitigation bills, Senate Bill 21-054 transfers $13 million from the state’s general fund to wildfire mitigation programs and Senate Bill 21-113 transfers $30.8 million in funds to the state’s Firefighting Air Corps Fund for the purchase of a new fire hawk helicopter to combat wildfires.

“Every homeowner should be aware of their wildfire risk and the associated responsibility to reduce that risk, not only to protect their property, but also to improve the safety of first responders,” said Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) Wildfire Mitigation Specialist Daniel Beveridge. “There are numerous examples from the past few seasons showing that proactive wildfire mitigation efforts are effective and now is a perfect time for people across the state to take action.”

Although COVID-19 related restrictions will continue to prevent residents from conducting group mitigation activities, wildfire officials encourage individual homeowners to take advantage of this early spring season and any extra time at home to engage in a wide range of low-cost mitigation steps proven to protect homes and land and help reduce damage to structures and communities.

“Since wildfire is not affected by viruses like the human population, it is all the more important this fire season to prepare ourselves and our homes for its impact, no matter where in the state we live,” said CSFS’s Beveridge. 

From completing home inventories, including photographs and video, to cleaning gutters and rooftops, to trimming backyard shrubs and trees and removing flammable materials from the perimeter of the home, there are a wide range of easy steps that homeowners can complete as coronavirus restrictions keep people at home. Reviewing insurance policy details and updating coverage are also key steps in the process along with creating and reviewing evacuation plans and emergency toolkits.

“BEFORE your home is in the path of a wildfire is when you need to take steps to help make sure you are insurance ready,” said Rocky Mountain Insurance Association (RMIA) Executive Director Carole Walker. “Using this time at home to create an inventory of personal belongings and checking in with your insurance professional to review coverage are projects we usually procrastinate that will help homeowners be financially prepared for wildfire and natural disasters.”

Since launching Colorado Project Wildfire in 2015, REALTORS^® across the state have joined forces with industry experts to host local wildfire education events for residents, share information and access to resources directly with homeowners.

“Although it’s easy to be distracted by the drastic changes that Coronavirus has brought to our lives over the past year-plus, we can’t take our eyes off of the significant and potentially deadly threat that wildfires bring to our state each year,” said Ulrich Salzgeber, chairman of the Colorado Project Wildfire Taskforce for the Colorado Association of REALTORS^®. “With more than 27,500 members living, working and supporting communities throughout our state, we will continue to be proactive in helping educate and support homeowners and residents living in these WUI areas about the steps they can take and the resources available to them to mitigate their properties and be prepared for the growing wildfire risk.”

# # #