The Wildfire Partners program can provide advising and
financial help for mitigation work

Boulder County, Colo. - The recent Cold Springs Fire near Nederland destroyed eight
homes and roughly a dozen outbuildings, but thanks in large part to extensive
mitigation work, the fire did not destroy more of the hundreds of structures
also within the fire footprint.

Many of the homes that were not destroyed are still standing
thanks to hard work performed by homeowners completing mitigation measures
before fires occur, and by firefighters suppressing the fire as it burns.

From a mitigation perspective, there are eight Wildfire
Partners homes within the burn perimeter, and all eight survived intact. In
addition, all 13 homes that were constructed in compliance with the county’s
wildfire mitigation building code requirements are also intact. Dozens of
additional Wildfire Partners homeowners who were evacuated were comforted in
knowing that they had acted responsibly and prepared their structures in
advance of the fire.

Participating Wildfire Partners homeowners have provided
information and lessons learned from their mitigation work and wildfire
experience at www.WildfirePartners.org/wildfire-mitigation-helps-save-homes-cold-springs-fire/

National mitigation expert Pat Durland stresses that, "Home
loss to wildfires is a solvable issue, and programs like Wildfire Partners help
folks understand and act to make that happen. It’s NOT a miracle or luck, it’s
the process of combustion, and if we manage the fuels, combustion is
interrupted and we win!"

Homeowners in Boulder County foothills and mountain areas
should contact Wildfire Partners for information about how to sign up for
mitigation support. The program provides one-on-one advising and funding to
support mitigation projects.

For more information about the program and to apply, visit www.WildfirePartners.org. Interested
homeowners can also call 303-441-1420 or email info@wildfirepartners.org with
questions.

Wildfire Partners background information

Launched in 2014, Wildfire Partners is a
collaborative initiative with more than 35 partner organizations led by Boulder
County. The program provides critical technical and financial assistance to
help Boulder County homeowners in the foothills and mountains prepare for
wildfire. It is funded by Boulder County, a $1.5 million grant from the
Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and a $1.125 million grant from FEMA.
More than 800 homeowners are currently participating in the program with more
joining every day.