Wildfire experts break down fire mitigation efforts in Boulder County: "This is the low-risk way to bring fire back to the ecosystem"

As fire season heats up, crews are fighting fire with fire. 

"By lighting a fire today, to reduce the surface fuels on the ground, we're increasing our chances to reduce the effects of catastrophic wildfires in the future," said Chad Buser, Arapahoe Roosevelt National Forest Fuels Planner. 

In Boulder County, west of Gross Reservoir, fire managers focused on controlled burns of 77 acres over the weekend, out of a nearly 400-acre prescribed burn plan. 

"Getting some established burn here," said Buser as he points to an area of the burn map, "so we can progress to the west in future days." 

Fire managers carefully choose where and when they will use prescribed burns to reduce fire risk. Ideal conditions involve cool weather with low wind speeds. This weekend's burn took advantage of recent snowfall in the area. 

They start by thinning trees, then burning piles of fuels, then performing broadcast burns. 

"The goal is for us to manage the density of the forest and hazardous fuels that are within them to bring them back to more of a normal condition," said Boulder District Ranger, Kevin McLaughlin. 

"This is the low-risk way to bring fire back to the ecosystem and bring it back to a fire-adapted ecosystem that relies on fire to maintain its structure," Buser said. 

The hope is that if a fire does start, it will be easier to contain. 

"We have the ability to knock down fire behavior in the case of a fire and create safe conditions for our firefighters to engage," said McLaughlin. 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act has provided over $100 million for fire mitigation efforts like this one. 

"We really are dealing with historic funding levels that I, in my career I've never seen before," McLaughlin said. 

The efforts are a welcome sight for neighbors. 

"Anything that will prevent a forest fire for us is...we're fully in support," said Gross Reservoir resident, Karen Siefert. 

Many of whom, are working with fire managers to create defensible space around their own homes. 

"We've cut most of the trees within the prescribed radius of the house and tried to do a lot of thinning on our property," Siefert said. 

Homeowners can create defensible space by clearing branches and natural fuels from around the home. 

Residents can contact your local fire district to see if they offer home assessments or help with creating defensible space.