A series of public forums hosted by county officials have urged residents to prepare for an active summer of wildfires.
Part of that preparation involves defensible space work around the yard. This includes thinning trees, trimming or clearing brush and low-hanging branches – essentially removing “ladder fuels” officials say largely contribute to a fire’s climb through the canopies.
Residents have access to a range of wildfire mitigation resources through the Wildfire Adapted Partnership. The nonprofit is providing free site assessments, cost-sharing assistance for defensible space work, equipment rebates and community-led programs that support larger-scale mitigation within a neighborhood.
After a period of limited resources tied to federal funding delays, the organization says it has secured significant funding for the year. Programs are geared toward homeowners, communities and neighborhood associations.
Celeste Moore, program coordinator for Montezuma County, encourages people to apply early. The funds are first-come, first-served.
People can request a home assessment by filling out a short form on the organization’s website, which is sent to staff to schedule a visit.
“It’s essentially where I come to the property and assess structures and the defensible space,” Moore said. “It’s a good starting place, it gets you all the information specific to your property.”
She said the site visit evaluates structures using home ignition zones, from zero to 100 feet, to identify specific risks and recommend home-hardening improvements.
Formerly FireWise of Southwest Colorado, the organization was formed in 2003 in response to the Missionary Ridge Fire, which destroyed around 50 structures near Durango.
Much of the mitigation work is labor-intensive – from limbing trees to clearing out dense, overgrown plants – and can be time-consuming. The organization has a defensible space cost-share program that allows some of the costs to be recouped.
“If the homeowner or the land owner hires a contractor to do that recommended work, right now, that reimbursement with the two grants we have for this year is anywhere from 60% up to 75%,” Moore said.
Site assessments are available throughout the county, while the cost share is limited to locations designated as high risk. Those areas include all of Dolores, Mancos and rural areas between Highway 184 and east of Cortez near U.S. Highway 491.
“One of our challenges is letting people know we are here, we are available to help and we do have grant funding available to address the threat of wildfire which is inherent living in Montezuma County,” Moore said.
Wildfire Adapted Partnership has worked with Cedar Mesa Ranches homeowners for years.
It is one of the largest subdivisions in a heavily forested area with flammable pinyon-juniper woodlands and Gambel oak. The neighborhood sits next to fire-prone Mesa Verde National Park and is surrounded by Bureau of Land Management land.
Moore said the subdivision’s single-access road – one way in and out – adds to emergency managers’ and fire districts’ concerns about its high-risk fire potential.
In response, residents and partner agencies have carried out extensive mitigation work over the years, including roadside thinning, vegetation clearing and improvements to emergency access, communication and signage. The neighborhood has also adopted a community wildfire protection plan.
“They’ve done a lot of work both with individuals mitigating their own parcels and they’ve also held a couple of events,” Moore said.
Some activities involved fire professionals and first responders assessing driveway access, while another event was a subdivision-wide evacuation drill.
“That’s a very helpful thing because in the event that something does happen, you’re in a state of panic. You need to get your go-bag, you need to get your checklist, get your essential things out of the house,” Moore said.
Cedar Mesa Ranches is an example the organization promotes through its ambassador program. Residents who join the program are trained in wildfire mitigation principles and serve as local points of contact, helping organize neighborhood projects, share safety information and connect neighbors to additional funding.
“I mean people who live here have lived through a couple wildfires just even recently. 416 in Durango, the East Canyon Fire in Montezuma … People think about it, and it is nice to see we can work together,” Moore said.
The organization also offers a chipper rebate program, reimbursing up to $250 for individual use or covering 50% of costs, up to $1,500, for neighborhoods or HOAs that rent equipment to clear vegetation.
“Mitigation is very labor intensive and can be very expensive, so our goal is to get properties to a maintainable level and help it be affordable for residents,” Moore said.
awatson@the-journal.com
