Redstone Mitigators used small costshare grants to strategically place fuelbreaks in Redstone Canyon near Ft. Collins, Colorado. The work proved successful when portions of the canyon burned in major fires in 2012 and 2020. The mitigation saved several homes, significantly reduced burned areas and suppression costs, and increased firefighter safety.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, the participant will be able to describe the effectiveness of fuel breaks and thinning to increase community resilience and reduce risk of wildland fire. Effectiveness of thinning and mitigation efforts has sometimes been questioned. This example of mitigation shows that a community driven approach with volunteer labor and using small State grants (≤ $10,000/yr.) can be effective in reducing fire intensity, saving homes, creating safe access for firefighters, and reducing burned areas.
Upon completion, the participant will be able to describe a successful mitigation example. This example is the fuelbreak along Roan Mountain Road in Redstone Canyon, Colorado, which became the last line of defense for two different southerly runs of the High Park megafire in June 2012. The fuelbreak allowed safe firefighter access and also a place to initiate a backburn. The fuelbreak saved four homes, avoided suppression costs of upwards a half million dollars, and saved the electronic tower site on Horsetooth Ridge – the primary means of communication for Larimer County during the fire – from burning up. These fuel breaks were also effective in the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire when a crown fire continued as a ground fire after reaching the thinned fuelbreak.
.jpg "Dave Cawrse, MS, MF (he/him/his) photo")
