Colorado Springs Wildfire MitigationColorado Springs Wildfire Mitigation““Sharing the Responsibility”Sharing the Responsibility”

Colorado SpringsFire Department

CSFD Wildfire MitigationCSFD Wildfire Mitigation

Wildfire Hazard Risk Wildfire Hazard Risk AssessmentAssessment

Education and OutreachEducation and Outreach Fuels ManagementFuels Management Development ReviewDevelopment Review

Colorado SpringsFire Department

CSFD Wildfire MitigationCSFD Wildfire Mitigation

Fire Behavior Analysis Fire Behavior Analysis Fire Danger, Burn Ban and Fire Fire Danger, Burn Ban and Fire

RestrictionsRestrictions Volunteer ProgramVolunteer Program GrantsGrants

Colorado SpringsFire Department

Mason Gulch 2005

Fort Carson 1950

Hayman Fire 2002

Fire HistoryFire History

• Big Burn of 1854

• Westwood Fire 2005

• Incline Fire 2007

• Fort Carson Fire 2008

Colorado SpringsFire Department

Wildfire Hazard Risk AssessmentWildfire Hazard Risk Assessment

WHINFOEWHINFOE Assessment Assessment

processprocess GISGIS Weighted Weighted

ValuesValues

Wildfire Hazard Risk AssessmentWildfire Hazard Risk Assessment

Education and OutreachEducation and Outreach

Interactive websiteInteractive website Neighborhood Neighborhood

meetingsmeetings On-site On-site

consultationsconsultations Champion Champion

recognitionrecognition

Fuels ManagementFuels Management

StewardshipStewardship Common Common

areasareas Open spacesOpen spaces OwnershipOwnership City asset at City asset at

riskrisk

Fuels ManagementFuels Management

Contracting and Contracting and Seasonal LaborSeasonal Labor

Licensed and Licensed and Insured Insured

ArboristsArborists Hand thinning and Hand thinning and

mechanized mechanized treatment treatment

Volunteers Volunteers

• Total Target: 1000-Total Target: 1000-1400 acres/yr1400 acres/yr

• Cost per acre from Cost per acre from $800 - $2500/acre$800 - $2500/acre

• 24% of the City lives in 24% of the City lives in the Wildland Urban the Wildland Urban Interface 35,360 Interface 35,360 addressesaddresses

•Est. population in the Est. population in the WUI = 91,200 (COS WUI = 91,200 (COS Pop. 380k)Pop. 380k)

Project AreasProject Areas

Grants and Contract AdministrationGrants and Contract Administration Total grants over Total grants over

$2.7 million in $2.7 million in federal and state federal and state grantsgrants

Sharing the Sharing the ResponsibilityResponsibility

City contractingCity contracting

Development ReviewDevelopment Review• Front end of Development

• Hillside Ordinance

• Building Characteristics “Engineer a Solution”

• Citywide Class A Roofing Ordinance

(*55,209 roofs changed out to Class A since 2003)

Wildland Fire SMEWildland Fire SME Fire Behavior Fire Behavior

AnalysisAnalysis

Monitor Fuel Monitor Fuel Moisture and Fire Moisture and Fire Wx for FIRE Wx for FIRE DANGERDANGER

Hazardous Hazardous Activity Permit for Activity Permit for Rx Burn (Agency)Rx Burn (Agency)

Wildfire Wildfire Mitigation: Mitigation:

Cedar Cedar HeightsHeights

Photo Courtesy US Forest Service

Photo Courtesy US Forest Service

Photo Courtesy US Forest Service

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

• True Wildland URBAN Interface

•Adult vs. Child Education

• Enforcement vs. Education

• Internal Customers (DRE, Planning, City Forestry, Operations)

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

Motivational factors Detractors can be

your champions Insurance

Companies Covenants Developers and

Realtors

PlanningPlanning CWPPCWPP Senior / Special assistanceSenior / Special assistance Educational Program to address Educational Program to address

GrassfiresGrassfires Introduce Rx fireIntroduce Rx fire Incident updates / program information Incident updates / program information

(using social media sites)(using social media sites) Structural Retrofit Project (MSF)Structural Retrofit Project (MSF)

Wildfire Mitigation Structural Retrofit Wildfire Mitigation Structural Retrofit

Mt St Francis Mt St Francis Nursing CenterNursing Center

24/7 nursing facility, 24/7 nursing facility, patientspatients

Shelter v. EvacuationShelter v. Evacuation Single pane, wooden Single pane, wooden

frame windowsframe windows Flame impingement Flame impingement

& smoke& smoke Eligible for Nat’l Eligible for Nat’l

Register of Historical Register of Historical PlacesPlaces

2222

CollaborationCollaboration El Paso CountyEl Paso County FEMAFEMA Cheyenne Mountain ZooCheyenne Mountain Zoo Colorado Division of Colorado Division of

Emergency ManagementEmergency Management Colorado State Forest Colorado State Forest

ServiceService University of Colorado, University of Colorado,

Colorado SpringsColorado Springs Mount Saint FrancisMount Saint Francis

Colorado SpringsFire Department

Level of CommitmentLevel of Commitment

““Sharing the Responsibility”Sharing the Responsibility” FEMA (FEDERAL)FEMA (FEDERAL) CDEM (STATE)CDEM (STATE) CSFD (LOCAL)CSFD (LOCAL) Property Owner (PRIVATE)Property Owner (PRIVATE)

Contact InformationContact Information

http://csfd.springsgov.com(CSFD Wildfire Risk Assessment map)(CSFD Wildfire Risk Assessment map)

crandall@springsgov.com (719) 385-7368(719) 385-7368

Colorado SpringsFire Department