Wildfires in the state have already begun, and leadership from Red, White & Blue Fire District and the Colorado Forest Service met virtually Wednesday, April 13, to discuss how residents can protect their homes from damage. The webinar was hosted by the town of Blue River, but was open to the public.
Cpt. Matt Benedict, who is also a Blue River resident, said that in recent years, fires have gotten bigger, hotter and more complicated.
“There’s a myth out there you see every year in the press as well that it’s only the miracle homes that survived fires,” he said. “That’s just not how physics works. It’s not miracles. It’s very fuel-based. It’s very wind-based. It’s very, in a lot of ways, predictable.”
The first 5 feet around a home is called the “immediate zone,” Benedict said, and it is considered now to be the most critical in what can save a home. He said that when a home burns down, it’s most likely due to easily ignited materials within 5 feet of the home, which can include small branches or other natural materials.
Next, is the “intermediate zone,” which is 5 to 30 feet away from a house. According to research from the U.S. Forest Service, radiant heat from a wildfire will not ignite materials on homes at distances greater than 30 feet from the house, which also makes it an important zone to remove flammable vegetation from. This does not mean residents have to remove every single tree or shrub from 30 feet from the home, but making sure that there is little risk in this zone is important, Benedict said.
