Living With the Threat of Wildfire

Wildfire is fresh in our mind after seeing all the destruction in California. It seems impossible that an entire town, such as Paradise, California, could burn to the ground. That level of sweeping destruction seems as if it only happened in previous eras, such as the time of the Great Chicago Fire. The fires in recent months give us all a wake-up call, especially for those who live in the mountains and foothills where wildfire is an ongoing hazard. Boulder County has had its share of wildfire in recent years – and these recent fires are telling us to be prepared!

Wildfire tends to be a summer peril. Nevertheless, our winters have been no stranger to wildfire. When there’s no snow on the ground and there are dry conditions, the wildfire danger can be just as high now as it is in August. While the forests and grasslands of Boulder County are very beautiful places to live, they are also the locations with the greatest menace of wildfire.

I experienced this firsthand this year when my family received word that the fire in Silverthorne was threatening our property there. Since we live in Boulder, there was no way to drive to our property with the evacuation orders already in place. I considered the possessions I would snatch from the home if I had time. I realized that the only item I would take with me that was irreplaceable, besides all of the incredible memories, was our dinner table. What’s so special about it? Our dinner table is made out of pine and our many guests over the past 25 years have carved their name and something that describes them into the table. The true value of the table is probably 50 bucks. The sentimental value: priceless. Everyone needs to have a plan to bring with them what they value. You might only have a few minutes to make that decision.

As a Realtor I have unfortunately had several clients and friends who have lost their homes to wildfire. My son, Timmy, had his home threatened by the Cold Spring Fire in Nederland. My own home backs up to open space, and that open space has been come under a barrage of fireworks several times. Since fire is a danger to so many of us in Boulder County, we need to be ready if the time comes.

There are a variety of resources to help you prepare for a wildfire emergency.

Check out firewise.com for a variety of helpful information. Here in Boulder County we have wildfirepartners.com. Wildfire Partners will issue a certificate indicating that you have completed their suggested checklist of preventative measures to mitigate the risk of wildfire. The following is a list of quick tips to have your bases covered in case of a wildfire emergency.

Insurance

Most of us have to admit that we haven’t completely read our hazard insurance policies. However, if you live in a fire hazard area, it is even more important know exactly what to expect from your insurance coverage. You need to investigate what the insurance company will do towards the replacement of your home or other options. Just as important is what they will do to help while you’re rebuilding.

A written and photographic inventory of your personal property is critical to have. Be sure to save it off-site or online.

An annual review with your insurance agent is a must! Some insurance companies will come up from time to time to inspect your home and its surroundings. Defensible space is one of the first things they will check.

Defensible space

First of all, remove fuel (anything that can burn!) from near your house. Learn about the three fire zones Firewise says are around your house. The Immediate Zone is the first five feet from the foundation. In that zone, you don’t want anything flammable. The Intermediate Zone is next, which is the section five to 30 feet from the home. This area should have fire breaks like lawns and driveways. Tree canopies should not come within 10 feet of the house and the trees should be at least 18 feet apart. The Extended Zone is next. Trees from 30 to 60 feet out from the house should have spacing at least 12 apart. Spaces between trees should be greater if they are on a steep slope.

Install a fire-retardant roof

Many of the older homes in the mountains west of Boulder were originally built with shake roofs.  There should not be too many of those left now! But if you don’t have a fire-retardant roof, it should be a priority to get one installed as soon as possible.

Be prepared to leave

The odds are high that when the notice to evacuate your home comes, there won’t be much time.  Residents in high risk areas should have a plan. That plan should include a list to what possessions to take on a priority basis. If you only have five minutes, you may only be able to take the items at the top of the list. Most people say that one of the things they would grab quickly are the family pictures. In our digital world, it is easy to upload sacred family pictures to the cloud. Even old family photographs can be scanned and uploaded.

Important documents might not survive. A better alternative would be to store them in a safe deposit box on the cloud in an online storage site like Dropbox.

The plan should include a Primary Escape Route and a Back-up Escape Route. If family members are at different locations at the time of the emergency, you should have an agreed upon meeting place.

The real estate market and fire

It’s important to be aware of the long-term implications on the real estate market when there is a fire. When smoke is in the air, it is difficult to for buyers to think of buying a home in the area. Closings don’t happen because insurance quickly becomes unavailable. The real estate market comes to a rapid stop in an area directly affected by the fire. An area with masses of trees can take years to look normal again and the market takes a long time to recover. Yet, areas where there have been grassy fires can come back greener and prettier in just one growing season and the next summer you may not be able to tell there was even a fire.

Additional resource

If you would like additional help to be prepared in the event of a wildfire, you may want to order the book, “Surviving Wildfire” by Linda Masterson. It is local and relevant. Linda and her husband lost their home to a wildfire west of Fort Collins in 2011. Dave Zader, a fire manager, calls it “full of information that could save homes…and lives.”

By Duane Duggan, RE/MAX of Boulder. Duane Duggan is an award-winning Realtor and author of the book, “Realtor for Life”. He has been a Realtor for RE/MAX of Boulder since 1982 and has facilitated over 2,500 transactions over his career. Living the life of a Realtor and being immersed in real estate led to the inception of his book, Realtor for Life. For questions, e-mail Duane at DuaneDuggan@boulderco.com, call 303.441.5611 or visit boulderco.com.