Firewise USA® recognition program helps communities organize and take action to reduce wildfire risk

Key Points

• Two Boulder County communities — Gold Hill and Wondervu — have earned Firewise USA® designation for their wildfire mitigation efforts.

• The national Firewise USA® recognition program helps communities organize and take action to reduce wildfire risk.

• The designations were achieved with support from Wildfire Partners’ Community Mitigation Program, highlighting how neighborhood action can meaningfully reduce wildfire risk across Boulder County.

Boulder County, Colo. – Two Boulder County communities, Gold Hill and Wondervu, have officially received their Firewise USA® designation, recognizing their efforts to reduce wildfire risks through proactive community mitigation measures.

Both communities earned this recognition in part through Wildfire Partners’ Community Mitigation Program, which guides neighborhoods in identifying wildfire hazards, creating action plans, and implementing mitigation strategies.

Gold Hill and Wondervu join nine other Firewise communities in Boulder County.

“Gold Hill is very pleased to have had its application accepted to become a Firewise community,” said Marcus Moench, Gold Hill community leader. “Being a Firewise Community will help us continue our efforts at protecting our community through planning and resource availability. We have received and implemented large and small grants for multi-agency forestry mitigation, goat grazing, home assessments by Wildfire Partners and town volunteer activism.”

“As a mountain community, wildfire preparedness is a shared responsibility, and this recognition reflects the dedication of our residents,” said Traci Nyre, Wondervu community leader.

"Gold Hill and Wondervu show what's possible when neighbors take wildfire risk seriously and work together," said Meg Halford, community mitigation Program lead at Wildfire Partners. "Community-wide mitigation makes a real difference, and we hope more Boulder County neighborhoods will follow their lead."

Youth crews also played a role in both communities' mitigation work. Through Wildfire Partners' Youth Services program, youth crews from TEENS, Inc. worked alongside residents in Gold Hill and Wondervu, clearing vegetation and creating defensible space in the first five feet around homes. The program pairs youth crews with underserved individuals and communities across Boulder County, giving young people hands-on conservation experience while helping neighborhoods reduce their wildfire risk.

Wildfire Partners encourages other neighborhoods in Boulder County to take steps toward reducing their wildfire risk. Communities that participate in community mitigation planning through Wildfire Partners benefit from guidance on hazard assessment, vegetation management, and collaborative mitigation planning — measures that can save lives, protect property, and strengthen community resilience.

For more information about Wildfire Partners’ Community Mitigation Program and how your neighborhood can get started, visit wildfirepartners.org or contact Meg Halford at mhalford@bouldercounty.gov or 720-564-2843.

Through Wildfire Partners' Youth Services program, youth crews from TEENS, Inc. worked alongside residents in Wondervu, clearing vegetation and creating defensible space in the first five feet around homes.

Through Wildfire Partners' Youth Services program, youth crews from TEENS, Inc. worked alongside residents in Gold Hill, clearing vegetation and creating defensible space in the first five feet around homes.

About Firewise USA®

The national Firewise USA® recognition program provides a collaborative framework to help neighbors in a geographic area get organized, find direction, and take action to increase the ignition resistance of their homes and community and to reduce wildfire risks at the local level. Any community that meets a set of voluntary criteria on an annual basis and retains an “In Good Standing Status” may identify itself as being a Firewise Site.

About Wildfire Partners

Wildfire Partners is a nationally recognized Boulder County government program designed to help residents prepare for wildfires. Technical and financial assistance is available to residents of the county through custom wildfire mitigation assessments, grant funding, educational programs, community events, and a free chipping program.

Boulder County wants to ensure that everyone has equal access to our programs, activities, and services. To request an Americans with Disability Act (ADA) accommodation, please email ada@bouldercounty.gov, or call 303-441-1386. If you need help in another language, please email cppfrontdesk@bouldercounty.gov or call 303-441-3930.