Evergreen authorities expand wildfire mitigation efforts as warmer weather arrives
Fire danger was high in Evergreen Friday and there's an even warmer week ahead. Fire season has become year round in Colorado and crews need all the help they can get. Evergreen Fire Rescue was able to secure additional help to assist neighbors with mitigation.
Evergreen Fire Chief, Mike Weege, says now is the time to clean your gutters, rake pine needles and move firewood away from your home.
"The Marshall Fire was a wake up call that the wildland urban interface isn't just above 6,400 feet, it's below 6,400 feet moving east quite a bit," Weege said. "Believe it or not, the fire will burn across frozen ground very easily with all that dead grass."
Weege says education is key. Especially for folks who only recently call the area home.
Liza Bagot has only lived in Evergreen for a few months and neighbors were quick to warn her how quickly one spark can spread.
"Everybody who lives here takes it seriously and I think we're ready to handle it if it comes. It feels really supportive and if you don't know then people are willing to teach you," Bagot said. "We live in a wooded area and there's a lot of trees. We cleared up the underbrush, gathered it all up, and cut extra branches off."
EFR's Wildfire Mitigation Program received a Forest Restoration and Wildfire Risk Mitigation grant through Colorado State Forest Service to hire an additional Mitigation Specialist for the next four years.
EFR Mitigation Specialists will be conducting defensible space inspections within EFR's Community Wildfire Protection Implementation Plan Units.
"They schedule a time and they go out and assess the home and property out to 100 feet from the home," Weege said. "They mark trees for them where they need to cut down to properly mitigate. Cleaning their gutters, putting screens in their vents to stop embers from getting into their attic, things like that."
To sign-up for this free service, click this link: bit.ly/EFRHomeDSpaceAssessment.
It will also participate in outreach and educational events and assist Plan Unit Ambassadors throughout the district.
On Saturday, April 8, a town hall on wildfires will be held at the Evergreen Bergen Park Fire Station at 9 a.m. Fire officials and Jefferson County leaders will be there to discuss mitigation efforts and answer questions.
