Southwest Colorado Firewise

FIREWISE: WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

• Network and share with other Firewise-minded individuals
• Gain access to fire education resources and materials
• Understand the role of fire in southwest Colorado forests
• Become a nationally recognized Firewise Community
• May keep your home insured and make it easier to sell

One of the most common buzz words today is wildland-urban interface or WUI. It is a term that describes the area where homes and other infrastructure meet or abut undeveloped lands. As more and more homes are built in this area, it makes it more difficult for land management agencies to allow fire to play its natural role in removing needles, cones, and other material from the forest floor. It also makes fighting wildfires more difficult and expensive

Becoming firewise doesn’t mean you have to remove all your trees or do a major remodel of your home. It should be viewed as a part of everyday life – just like learning how to use that new computer or how to grow vegetables.

Being a resident of the wildland-urban interface has many benefits as well as risks. Those that choose to live in or near a wildland environment have a higher associated risk and personal responsibility for the safety of their families as well as their property, pets, and livestock. Understanding the wildland environment you are a part of is a large part of being firewise. Let FireWise of Southwest Colorado help you become part of a growing firewise culture!