Udall Encourages Wildfire Preparedness During Wildfire Awareness Month
Mark Udall encouraged Coloradans today, during Wildfire Awareness Month and the ongoing 2012 wildfire season, to be proactive and safeguard their homes, communities and businesses from the threat of future wildfires.
“As Coloradans make their ways through the fall months, now is the time to look ahead and do all we can to safeguard our homes and communities from the threat of future wildfires,” Udall said. “Simple and effective fire-mitigation methods do not always cost a lot of time or money. In fact, common-sense steps taken while doing your fall yard work can make an enormous difference in the long run.”
Udall also thanked Boulder, Clear Creek, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson and Larimer counties for their efforts in getting the word out about fire mitigation by recognizing October as Wildfire Awareness Month.
"I would like to commend Boulder, Clear Creek, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson and Larimer counties for recognizing October as Wildfire Awareness Month," Udall added. "These counties are not only responding to this year’s devastating wildfire season, but also are demonstrating the importance of being proactive in our wildland-urban landscapes. Each of the county’s unique efforts for mitigation, education and outreach will pay dividends for their populations and our state."
Roughly 40 percent of Coloradans live in areas where human development meets or intermingles with undeveloped wildland and vegetative fuels, sometimes called the Wildland-Urban Interface.
Udall has been a leader on forest health and wildfire issues from his time in the U.S. House of Representatives through the current, ongoing fire season. Udall recently requested a federal review of the Waldo Canyon Fire and attended the 2012 Forest Health Summit in Denver, where he delivered introductory remarks.
Udall also has been a champion of encouraging homeowners living in wildfire-prone areas to take the steps necessary to lower their wildfire risk. According to a U.S. Forest Service study of the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire in Boulder County – a study Udall requested – the condition of the Home Ignition Zone, the design, materials and the maintenance of the home and the area 100 feet around it, is critical to determining if a home will survive a wildfire.
Udall has encouraged business owners and residents living in and around the areas affected by this year’s record-setting Waldo Canyon and High Park fires to utilize the available federal resources, including loan assistance and flood-insurance waivers, to help them and their communities recover.
For more information on how you can work on wildfire prevention for your home or in your community, please visit www.ready.gov/wildfires.