Here’s where to go to get the latest on the multiple wildfires burning across the state:

• Updates and maps from the State Emergency Operations Center: http://www.coemergency.com/. Check here for a list of all Facebook/Twitter accounts for individual fires. Also, see CoEmergency Facebook page.
• Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM)
• Division of Fire Prevention and Control
• Air quality and smoke information from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment
• Road closure information from the Colorado Department of Transportation 
• Spring Fire, Costilla County: Relief and Recovery Assistance Guide
• InciWeb updates on individual fires
  
• Recovery resources from the DHSEM
• Governor’s Executive Orders for declarations of disaster emergencies
• Colorado 211 for locating emergency services near you 
• Apply for disaster assistance (FEMA)
• Small Business Development Center Disaster Relief Program

Additionally, here are some helpful publications and websites:

• After the Fire: Advice for Salvaging Damaged Family Treasures – FEMA
• Caring for Livestock Before, During, and After a Disaster – Colorado State University Extension
• Colorado Disaster Housing Plan – Colorado Department of Local Affairs
• Colorado Hazard and Incident Response and Recovery Plan – Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
• Creating Wildfire Defensible Zones – Colorado State University Extension
• Fire Resources – Colorado State University Extension
• Living With Fire: A Guide for the Homeowner – Colorado State Forest Service
• Protect Your Home, Property & Forest from Wildfire – Colorado State Forest Service
• Protecting Your Home from Wildfire – Colorado State Forest Service
• Special Report, Colorado Firefighting Air Corps – Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control
• Wildfire and Insurance – Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies
• Wildfire Preparedness for Horse Owners – Colorado State University Extension
• Wildfires and Your Home: Are You Covered? – Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies

Spring Fire, July 3, 2018. Photo courtesy Colorado Division of Fire Protection & Control.

With this past winter being relatively dry, fire danger is expected to be higher than usual this year, especially in areas of lower elevation.  The State of Colorado has numerous resources to help you prepare.

• This consumer alert from the Colorado Division of Insurance will help you determine if your property is adequately insured.
• The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control offers a helpful Wildfire Information Resource Center website. Here you can find information on education and public awareness, preparedness and mitigation, fire bans and restrictions, and information on any current fires.
• READYColorado’s wildfire page also has many helpful tips. 
• The Colorado State Forest Service’s Wildfire Mitigation website is another helpful resource.  Here you can find information on how to protect your home, as well as about wildfire education programs that can help communities prepare.  Also, you can use their Colorado Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal to help determine if you are at risk.
• Planning for Hazards: Wildfire is a resource from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs that can help communities plan for wildfire.

Be sure also to check out these helpful state publications:

• Community Wildfire Protection Plans: Guidelines for Implementation 
• Creating Wildfire-Defensible Zones
• Interface Areas of High Wildfire Risk in Colorado 
• Living with Fire: A Guide for the Homeowner
• Protecting Your Home from Wildfire: Creating Wildfire-Defensible Zones
• Ready, Set, Go: Your Personal Wildfire Action Plan
• Wildfire & Insurance 
• Wildfire Preparedness for Horse Owners 

On April 14 the Governor and the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control (DFPC) presented on the outlook for the 2017 wildfire season.  “The number, intensity, and complexity of wildfires in Colorado have been growing exponentially, and experts predict that it will continue to worsen,” notes the Department of Public Safety’s press release.

Each year the DFPC submits a Wildfire Preparedness Plan to the governor.  These plans are available from our library.  You can search our library’s online catalog for numerous other resources on Colorado wildfire preparation, response, and recovery.

The High Park Fire, June 2012, in Larimer County.

Photo by Sgt. Jesica Geffre, U.S. Army/Colorado National Guard, via Wikipedia

Junkins Fire.

Were you affected by the recent Junkins Fire, Beulah Hill Fire, or Hayden Pass Fire?  The Governor has declared a disaster emergency for each of these wildfires.  Of the three recent fires, the Junkins Fire was the most destructive, destroying nine homes and nine other structures.  And with the recent warm, dry weather, there is potential for more fires.

Following Colorado’s September 2013 flood disaster, the Governor established the Colorado Resiliency & Recovery Office.  Their website, coloradounited.com, offers helpful resources for Coloradans affected by all types of disasters, including the recent wildfires.  In the Recovery section of the website, you can find information on temporary housing and rebuilding your home; FEMA assistance, insurance, and other financial information for individuals and businesses; mental health counseling; legal assistance; and much more.  The website is also a helpful resource for obtaining information on disaster mitigation.  Coloradans can also visit readycolorado.com to learn about preparedness.  The Colorado Resiliency & Recovery Office is also working with local governments to streamline disaster mitigation, response and recovery services.  Check out coloradounited.com to see what is happening in your community, and how you can get involved.

Junkins Fire photo courtesy Colorado Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management.

Colorado has already seen several small wildfires this spring, and the dry weather suggests that wildfires may be a problem as spring moves into summer.  Numerous Colorado state agencies have provided helpful websites and resources to help property owners, first responders, decision makers, and others prepare for what could be an active wildfire season.
The Colorado Division of Insurance has produced several resources for homeowners living in potential wildfire zones.  Their website Take 5…To Prepare for Wildfire Season encourages homeowners to prepare by checking their homeowners’ insurance policy; clear dead leaves, wood, and pine needles away from property; prepare a home inventory; and make sure you are up-to-date on any defensible space and mitigation requirements.  The site also offers tools and apps to help with the preparation of a home inventory — don’t wait until your home is gone to try to remember what was in it!
The Colorado State Forest Service has a wealth of information on their website regarding wildfire preparations.  The Colorado Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal is designed both for property owners and for emergency professionals.  By selecting their user type, users can find resources on Colorado wildland fires and the risks of the wildfire-urban interface.  Property owners can use the website to help determine if they are at risk, while emergency management professionals and local governments can register to receive help with wildfire planning.  Also, the “support” section of the website provides links to valuable resources including fact sheets for wildfire protection planning, “firewise” construction, and protecting your home from wildfire.  The site also provides samples and templates to help communities create their own wildfire plans.  Additional resources can be found on the Colorado State Forest Service’s Publications webpage.
The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM), a unit of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, provides valuable public information on disasters and emergencies, including wildfires.  DHSEM publishes a blog, www.coemergency.com, which is also updated through Facebook and Twitter to provide the most up-to-date information.  Also be sure to visit their website’s preparedness page for information on community planning, grants, training exercises, critical infrastructure protection, and more.

The new Colorado Wildfire Watch app.
Also housed within the Department of Public Safety is the Division of Fire Prevention and Control, which is the main statewide wildfire planning agency; they also deal with fire codes and regulations for construction and for public buildings such as schools and hospitals.  Their Wildland Fire Management page includes such resources as the state wildfire plans; information on prescribed burning; information on firefighting aircraft; and a new Colorado Wildfire Watch app, available for Apple and Android.
As we saw with the Lower North Fork Fire, controlled burns can quickly become out-of-control if proper precautions are not taken.  In addition to requiring smoke permits for prescribed burns, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) also offers preparedness information for the day of the burn, including how to determine if the conditions are right for a burn, and how to monitor the burn and smoke.  CDPHE’s website also includes tips on how to protect your health from wood smoke, and how to check the current air quality in event of wildfire.
The Governor and Legislature have also set up several committees and task forces for dealing with wildfire issues.  The Governor established the Task Force on Wildfire Insurance and Forest Health in 2013, while the General Assembly’s Wildfire Matters Review Committee met over the summer of 2014 to discuss legislation needed to help prepare for and combat wildfires.
Lastly, be sure and visit our library’s web catalog to search for additional preparedness resources as well as reports on past fires.

As Colorado heads into wildfire season, the Department of Public Safety’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control has issued several new publications including the 2014 Wildfire Preparedness Plan.  The Plan, submitted to the Governor and Legislature, addresses the amount of aerial firefighting resources needed; the availability of firefighting equipment and personnel; processes for resource mobilization; and recommendations on the use of the Wildfire Preparedness Fund. 

Additionally, the importance of keeping controlled burns under control has prompted the Division to issue a new 2014 Prescribed Fire Planning & Implementation Guide, also available on their publications website.  This helpful website also offers information on permitting for controlled burns; how to protect your home and property from wildfire; and wildfire costs and financial information.