Living wildfire ready is an important aspect of our whole community's wildfire resiliency and sustainability. On this page, find tips and information about making your home wildfire resilient today!
The detailed home assessment (DHA) is a free personal assessment of your home that is conducted by Boulder Fire-Rescue. Each DHA is done by a specialist and has the purpose of assisting homeowners in understanding their wildfire resilience risk at their residence. This free program is made up of a 2 hour walk through of your home and property as well as a specific report provided on risk reduction tactics you can take on your home.
Let's Talk Boulder is a City of Boulder podcast exploring our community, one conversation at a time. Episodes 1 through 3 were dedicated to wildfire.
Hardening your home - Making your home more resilient to wildfire damage by identifying weak spots and using better building materials and practices to strengthen them.
Managing vegetation and debris around your home - Removing things like leaves, pine needles, and branches (just a few examples) from your property so that wildfire cannot spread as quickly.
The below tips can help you begin your resilience journey today or this weekend and do not represent work covered within this grant. Gotta start somewhere!
Remove leaves, pine needles, and debris from your home's gutter and roof to make a step towards being more wildfire resilient.
1 of 9
Keep any stored woodpiles no less than 30 feet away from your home or structure to reduce the chance of wildfire catching the woodpile and then quickly hitting your house. A woodpile can be a significant source of fuel for a wildfire.
2 of 9
Leave 6 inches between the ground and where the siding on your home begins. This can reduce the risk of wildfire spreading from nearby vegetation to the siding.
3 of 9
Keeping grasses and weeds maintained and cut will limit the risk of wildfire spreading because it cuts down on the amount of fuel (amount of grass) there is to burn.
4 of 9
Keep propane tanks away from flammable vegetation. It is recommended to have a cleared area of no less than 10 feet for the tank to sit.
5 of 9
Equip house vents with mesh to reduce the risk of flying sparks and debris. Make sure to also keep the vent clean.
6 of 9
Prune your trees and trim branches so that there is a clearance of no less than 10 feet between your home's roof and the branch. This can go a long way in slowing down a moving wildfire.
7 of 9
Do not store things under your raised deck, it makes it harder to clean out and also provides more fuel for a fire should one make it to your raised deck.
8 of 9
Clear the area within 5 feet of your house of all leaves, fallen branches, and pine needles. Keeping this area, Zone 1, clear will reduce how much fuel a wildfire has to consume near your home.
9 of 9
While it can feel like a lot of work, mitigating wildfire risk can save your home from burning beyond repair. To learn more about the mitigation process, watch this 4 minute video created by the NFPA on reducing risk around your home.
Floating embers can land on your home and be the source of ignition. To learn more about protecting your property from potential ignitions, see this 2 minute video created by the NFPA.
Prior to wildfire season, it is important to inspect your home for potential fire risk. View this 2 minute video created by the NFPA outlining the 5 key areas you should inspect around your home.
