FLOOD03008

• County: Statewide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Colorado Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Plan Annex I
• Date: 8/1/1995
• Prepared For: State of Colorado
• Prepared By: USFWS
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Mitigation/Flood Warning/Watershed Restoration

"The public expects more

than we can do with our

existing fire protection
"
resources.

"Training is paramount to
success in fire protection."

"Ignorance costs more than
.. II
trmmng.

10

Hikers, campers, sportsmen and machine operators-all who use
the land-are contributors. Historically, 85.25 percent of wildfires
on state and private lands in Colorado are human caused.

. Structure fires create risks to adjacent forest and brush lands.
When buildings bum in these lands during dry months, there is
great risk of fire spreading to adjacent vegetation to become a
wildfire.

"\

l

. Wildfires create risks to adjacent structures.
During high temperature, low humidity and wind, wildfire creates
extreme risk to anything in its path. This describes the summer of
1994.

. The presence of structures does not mean adequate fire protection
exists.

A fire department might protect the area. Where adequate fire
equipment does exist, finding and keeping qualified firefighters,
especially volunteers, is a serious problem in interface
communities. Retirees can seldom perform the arduous work of
firefighting. Younger residents are away at work much of the time.
Moreover, time necessary to become trained and competent in
interface fire suppression techniques is high for volunteeTs. The
result: fire protection needs of rural interface areas easily outstrip
the local fire protection capabilities.
. Structure fires create safety risks to wildlaruifirefighters.
Forestry and wildland firefighters are not equipped or trained to
deal with fues in or near structures. Protecting themselves from
poisonous smoke near burning buildings and protecting propane
gas tanks from wildfue are two examples.