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For a free Wildfire Assessment, contact:
Katie Jenkins, Eagle County Wildfire Mitigation Specialist
970-328-8816
katie.jenkins@eaglecounty.us
It can happen here.
It can happen here.
Twenty of Colorado’s largest wildfires have occurred within the last twenty years. Four out of the five largest fires in state history have occurred within the last four years, including the most destructive fire in state history, the Marshall Fire, on December 30, 2021.
Warmer temperatures, drought, and continued development in the wildland-urban interface have made wildfire mitigation a top priority for Eagle County.
Through advance preparation such as identifying and mitigating your home ignition zone, making an evacuation plan, building a "go-bag," and signing up for EC Alert, you and your family will be better prepared in the event of a wildfire.
The Home Ignition Zone is the home and the area around the home (or structure) and takes into account both the potential of the structure to ignite and the quality of the defensible space surrounding it. The two determinants of a home's ability to survive a wildfire include how likely a structure is to ignite (what components on the house may cause it to ignite) and the quality of the surrounding defensible space (ie. what kind of vegetation and fuels are present around the home). By creating and maintaining the home ignition zone, homeowners and residents can improve the likelihood of their home surviving a wildfire and reduce the negative impacts wildfires can have on their property. Find out how you can improve your home ignition zone below.
The home ignition zone can be broken down into 3 zones based on proximity to the structure.
ZONE 1: (0-5ft) This is the most critical zone and should be clear of combustible materials, including mulches, grasses, and other combustible vegetation.
ZONE 2: (5-30ft) This area should have sizeable spaces between fuels to prevent rapid fire spread towards the structure.
ZONE 3: (30-100ft and beyond) This zone prioritizes keeping fire on the ground to decrease fire intensity by removing ladder fuels and excessive vegetative growth.
FREE Wildfire Assessments
FREE Wildfire Assessments
Learn about your Home Ignition Zone and steps that you can take to reduce wildfire risk in and around your home by signing up for a REALFire home assessment. These voluntary assessments are performed by trained fire professionals and may qualify you for a cost-share assistance grant covering a portion of your mitigation work.
To learn more and to submit an application, please visit realfire.net.
Wildfire Mitigation Specialist Katie Jenkins conducts a REALfire assessment with a homeowner.
Eagle County Alert System
Eagle County Alert System
Be in the know and sign up for the Eagle County Alert System to receive the latest information about wildfire incidents and evacuation notices. Subscribers can elect to receive time-sensitive emergency messages to their phone, desktop, and/or mobile device. Sign up here for EC Alert.
ReachWell App
Receive emergency alerts in 130+ languages with the County’s new app from ReachWell. It is easy to sign up and you can begin receiving notifications right away:
Make an Evacuation Plan
Make an Evacuation Plan
Make a plan and complete your Emergency Checklist by determining your evacuation route and creating an emergency supply kit with plans for your 6 P's:
1. People and pets
2. Papers, phone numbers and important documents
3. Prescriptions, vitamins, and eyeglasses
4. Pictures and memorabilia
5. Personal computers (information on hard drive and removable memory)
6. Plastic (credit cards, debit cards) and cash
Resources
Resources
For information about open burn permits or building permits in Eagle County, visit Eagle County Mitigation and Wildfire Protection
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