Wildfires are larger and more destructive than ever.

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 five 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. 

Wildfires in winter have become a new normal.

According to the Department of Agriculture, wildfire season has become longer because winter snows are melting earlier and rain is coming later in the fall. What was once a four-month fire season now lasts six to eight months. Other contributing factors are persistent drought, and tree mortality from invasive species.

How can there be fires in the snow?

If an area does not get rain in the fall and the first snow of the year is dry, snow conditions exist for wildfire danger. Additionally, dry snow has enough air to fuel fire, but not enough water to quench it. However, sufficiently wet, dense snow can help extinguish fires. Those who live in fire-prone areas should create defensible spaces, and develop family plans for evacuation. See below for tips on how to prepare yourselves and your household for fire even in the winter time.

Questions to ask your insurance provider:

• How much is my house insured for? How was that amount of coverage determined? 

• If my home was destroyed today, how much would it be depreciated? 

• Do I have the best policy available?

• Does my policy cover Replacement Value for my home and personal property?

• Does my policy cover Additional Living Expenses? For how long? (Or how much, if it’s a set dollar amount?)

• Do I have Extended Replacement coverage? How much? Does it apply to anything besides my house?

• How much coverage do I have for my detached garage, shop, and other outbuildings and landscaping?

• Does my policy cover the increased cost of upgrades dictated by changes in building codes or laws (Ordinance and Law coverage), and how much?

• What does my policy cover if I’m officially evacuated for a fire or any other reason? Do I need to pay the deductible?

• Does my policy cover debris removal? How much?

• What’s my deductible? How much would I save if I increased it?

• Are there any available discounts I could qualify for? 

• Is there anything else I can do to decrease my premium?

Eagle County Community Wildfire Protection Plan

Community Wildfire Protection Plans are designed to identify and prioritize areas of risk and to provide guidance for protecting life, property, and infrastructure through strategic mitigation actions in a specific location. In December of 2023, the Eagle County Wildfire Collaborative published a Community Wildfire Protection Plan with the help of stakeholders representing various groups across the county. You can Learn more about specific priority mitigation areas and explore Eagle County's mitigation project map through our wildfire protection plan website, and the full plan can be found here.  

During the planning process, the Eagle County Wildfire Collaborative brought together residents, landowners, state and federal agencies, municipalities, metro districts, fire districts, non-profits, utility providers, conservation groups and others to assess the risks specific to Eagle County to develop a plan to reduce the potential impact of wildfires. These stakeholders were formally tasked with providing unique knowledge and perspectives relative to their areas of expertise in order to help identify risks and develop effective mitigation strategies.

Four goals shared amongst stakeholders are highlighted in the CWPP and are intended to motivate and empower local government, communities, and property owners to organize, plan, and take action on issues impacting the safety and resilience of values at risk in the WUI. These goals are as follows:

1. Reducing risks to public health and safety posed by wildfire disasters

2. Reducing structure ignitability and improving community wildfire resilience

3. Protecting critical infrastructure from negative wildfire impacts

4. Protecting ecosystems and natural resources by decreasing the probability of landscape scale, high severity wildfire events

The Eagle County CWPP was formally put into place in December, 2023. Take a look at the completed plan here.