We're lucky that Eagle County experiences more than 300 days of sunshine every year. However, it's a fact that we live where fire will occur. People are increasingly building homes in areas prone to wildfire; half the wildfires in Colorado are lightning-caused. The rest have some human connection. With preparation and planning, together we can keep the community safe from wildfires.
Maintaining defensible space around your home is one way to reduce the ability for a fire to spread. Property owners have a responsibility to prepare their properties so fire fighters can most effectively defend communities.
Property owners, Cordillera and Eagle County can work together to create a home site that is protected as possible from wildfires. Find out what you need to know to defend your home from wildfire.
0408 Carterville Rd.
Cordillera, CO 81632
Phone: 970-926-2335
CPOA - Architectural Control Administrator
DRB@CordilleraPOA.com
Phone: 970-688-8850, Option #2
Should any natural disaster occur, evacuation orders will come from the emergency services agencies, including the Eagle County Sheriff's Office (ECSO) and Eagle River Fire Protection District (ERFPD). Notifications to evacuate will be sent through a variety of systems. The two sources of public information and warning systems are Eagle County's ECAlert and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs).
Cordillera property owners should sign up for ECAlert. ECAlert provides real-time updates, instructions on where to go, what to do, or what not to do, who to contact and other important information during an emergency. In the event of a large-scale emergency, official information will be available at ecemergency.org.
Notices to evacuate will include a description of the evacuation routes. Normally, there will be enough time to exit using main roads.
Cordillera Way is the only exit route for the Divide. Expect two-way traffic as fire trucks may be entering.
Fenno Drive is the primary route for the Ranch, Summit and Territories. Expect two-way traffic as fire trucks may be entering.
Emergency Evacuation Routes are for emergency exit only if other exits become compromised. They are not intended for use by passenger vehicles. Vehicles must have proper clearance to assure they do not get stuck and block the exit.
Golf courses contain many safety zones in the event an exit becomes unusable. Sand traps and greens have little to no combustibles and greens are irrigated on a daily basis.
Weather forecasts are frequently accompanied by “Red Flag Warnings,” which mean that high winds and dry conditions could cause fire activity to become a large-scale event. Drought and fire conditions warrant special attention in order to prevent fires; they also serve as early warnings to residents to be prepared to evacuate.
Please report any suspicious or unsafe activities or signs of fire to 911 and Public Safety at 970-926-2335. For local updates, sign up for ECAlerts or visit www.ecemergency.org.
Take personal responsibility and prepare long before the threat of a wildland fire so your home is ready in case of a fire.
Property owners are responsible for preparing their properties so fire fighters can more effectively defend communities. The two most significant factors affecting a property's ability to survive a wildfire are the roof and defensible space around a home: the 30 feet immediately adjacent to the structure.
Wildfire mitigation is the process of strategically reducing the fuel load around a structure, so fire fighters can safely defend the property. During an aggressive wildfire, the homes that have mitigated fire hazards will receive priority from fire fighters. Successful wildfire mitigation helps manage fires.
Cordillera was the first community in Eagle County to develop a Community Wildfire Protection Plan and has been certified FireWise since 2005. Association rules require owners to strategically manage fuels around their home so fire fighters can safely defend the property.
Cordillera is located in the "Wildland Urban Interface" (WUI), where many wildfires occur. A wildfire hazard analysis of Cordillera identified hazard ratings for Cordillera neighborhoods that ranged from low to extreme. A large number of homes are located in neighborhoods rated high to extreme. In 2006, the Cordillera Property Owners Association (CPOA) passed a resolution that required all Cordillera property owners to address wildfire hazards and defensible space on their properties according to a five-year schedule. Upon completion of the five-year program, properties are required to maintain this work using the same five-year rotation.
Property owners may benefit from a subtraction on their Colorado income tax return for certain costs incurred in performing wildfire mitigation.
The first year of the maintenance cycle conducted by the CPOA took place in 2012. This five-year cycle started with the highest hazard neighborhoods and worked to the lower hazard neighborhoods. Each spring the Healthy Forest program schedules property inspections and assists property owners in fire mitigation.
Each year the CMD and CPOA mitigates fire hazards adjacent to private property and along roads.
REALFire is a voluntary property assessment program that helps residents identify specific actions they can take to reduce wildfire hazards.
Hot embers from wildfire sometimes travel miles and start wildfires when landing on wood shake roofs. Property owners with wood shake roofs are encouraged to keep them clear of combustible debris such as pine needles and leaves.
At the Ranch, Summit and Territories, wood shake roofs were once required. In 2005, cedar shake roofs were prohibited in response to studies showing the dangers of shake roofs during a fire. Any work on an existing roof that will affect more than twenty-five percent of the roof will require the entire roof be replaced with non-cedar shake.
Property owners should contact John Gulick, Healthy Forest Coordinator, to learn more about the requirements for wildfire mitigation. He can be reached at 970-569-6250 and can help locate property lines and explain the area's wildfire hazards.
