Wildfire
Wildfire Readiness and Information
Start living wildfire ready with these simple, practical, low-cost actions.
- Regularly clear leaves, pine needles and other debris from your deck, roof and gutters.
- Rake and remove pine needles and leaves 5 feet from your home.
- Store firewood at least 30 feet from your home, preferably uphill, and never on or under your deck.
- Move items under your deck or porch to a storage area.
- Prune branches hanging over your roof and within 10 feet of your chimney.
- Remove flammable material within 6 vertical inches of your home’s siding.
- Mow grasses to 4 inches or less within 30 feet of your home.
- Clear brush, shrubs and other plants within 10 feet of propane tanks and gas meters.
- Screen attic, roof, eaves and foundation vents and wall-in areas below decks and stilt foundations with 1/8-inch metal mesh.
RED FLAG WARNING- (definition per (NWS) National Weather Service- (NWS) issues Red Flag Warnings & Fire Weather Watches to alert land management agencies about the onset, or possible onset, of critical weather and fuel moisture conditions that could lead to rapid or dramatic increases in wildfire activity. This could be due to low relative humidity, strong winds, dry fuels, or any combination thereof.
Fire weather zones are areas that are susceptible to fire potential and growth and thus different aspects of the environment must be monitored to predict fire potential. Hartsel is in Fire Zone 214. You can read the daily forecast here: Fire Zone 214.
Please visit Colorado's new Live Wildfire Ready website for resources and information.
Wildfires are a natural part of Colorado’s forests.
If you live in the wildland-urban interface in Colorado, where homes and other structures intermingle with wildland vegetation, you are at risk of being affected by wildfire. Planning ahead and taking action can increase the likelihood your home survives when a wildfire occurs.