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We have created a quick survey to find out the level of wildfire risk for your home, utilizing the WRWC's Rapid Wildfire Risk Assessment Tool. The data collected is not released to any external sources. For more information about this tool and its correlating research please click HERE.

Additionally, you can find more resources for wildfire mitigation and emergency preparedness here:
Colorado State Forest Service Home Ignition Zone Guide (It is easiest to save this link now, rather than come back to it.)

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1. What neighborhood do you live in?

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2. House numerics?  For example, 123 Main Street would enter 123.  

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3. What is the zip code?

ACCESS - Roads, signage, and width of driveways all play a part in how fast firefighters can access your home and how fast you can evacuate.  

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4. Structure address posted at driveway entrance?  A metal sign, with 3” tall reflective lettering, is the most visible and durable sign during all conditions, including nighttime and heavy smoke.

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5. Ingress and Egress: The ability for you to evacuate your home and community during a wildfire or other emergency is critical. The ability for emergency responders (police, ambulance, fire department) to identify your residence and safely access your property is equally critical. Access to and from your property is limited by the available road system. Properties with only one point of ingress and egress are given a higher score than properties with more than one point of ingress and egress.

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6. Width of driveway: It is important for firefighters to know that they can safely get their apparatus in and out of a home’s driveway. Driveway clearance assessment is a combination of approximate shoulder to shoulder measurement (at the narrowest constriction point) as well as the distance between overhanging obstructions and the driveway.

STRUCTURE - Your home's construction is important when it comes to stopping fire spread.

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7. Roofing Material: Roofing assemblies have been shown to have a dramatic impact on the ignitability of a home during a wildfire event. The materials that compose the roof, the design and orientation of the roof line in relation to exterior walls as well as the construction assembly of the roof all impact the roof’s overall vulnerability to ignition during a wildfire

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8. Building exterior: The design, materials and construction assembly of a structure’s exterior walls also have an impact on the ignitability of home during a wildfire event. 

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9. Location of woodpiles and combustibles: Other combustible materials that are within Zone 1 (0-30 feet) of the defensible space zones of your home present an additional ignition vulnerability. Any material that is combustible is considered during the assessment period. Common examples of combustible materials include wicker patio furniture, ornamental decorations, firewood, kindling, bark mulch.

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10. Balcony, deck, or porch: Combustible materials that are in any way attached to the main structure present a significant ignition vulnerability. Decks and fencing present a significant hazard due to the expansive horizontal surfaces that are exposed to both wind driven embers (from above) as well as convective and radiant heat from the below and from the sides

VEGETATION & TOPOGRAPHY - The angle of hill slopes and the types of vegetation around your home is important when defending your home. Various free "slope finder" phone apps can be downloaded to help determine your home's slope.

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11. Slope: Generally speaking, wildfire behavior is driven by three factors: weather, fuels and topography. While the “Distance to Dangerous Topography” category characterizes how close a home is to a high risk topographic feature, this Slope category characterizes the average overall slope throughout the area where the home is situated. Homes situated on the steepest slopes (>45%) were given the highest rating.

Slope

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12. Distance to dangerous topography: The proximity of a home to certain topographic features may significantly impact that home’s survivability during a wildfire. Such features include over-steepened slopes, chimneys, drainages, gullies, narrow canyons, ridges, etc. These features are areas where wildfires can move quickly, increase in wildfire intensity and impact wildfire behavior. This is as an approximate measure of the proximity of your home to any such topographic feature.

The picture is an exaggerated example to help define terms. 
Topography

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13. Predominant background fuel type in neighborhood: The fuel type and density directly surrounding a home can affect the fire behavior in the particular area. Given varying weather conditions, grassy open meadows tend to be conducive to fast moving, yet low intensity fire behavior, where as fire in a heavily forested environments can be much more intense.

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14. Defensible space (CSFS 6.302 Standards)
To prepare your home for the possibility of wild fire, it is critical that you create defensible space within the Home Ignition Zone. According to the Colorado State Forest Service, defensible space is “the natural and landscaped area around a home or other structure that has been modified to reduce fire hazard. Defensible space gives your home a fighting chance against an approaching wildfire.” This is an approximation of the amount of adequate defensible space surrounding all structures on your property.

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15. Do you feel prepared to evacuate?  (Ready.gov)
Do not forget to sign up for your county's reverse 9-1-1 notification system, create redundancy with all of your important papers, and prepare your go-bags.

Have you planned for your pets, kids, older adults? What if you can not make it home? Have you come up with a plan with your neighbors?

More information on Home Mitigation

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