Boulder County program offers wildfire mitigation assistance to mountain homeowners

Boulder County, Colo. - Wildfire Partners performed its 2000th wildfire mitigation assessment in Boulder County on Tuesday, August 20, 2019.

Started in 2014, the Boulder County government program educates homeowners on how to protect their home and property against the threat of wildfire.

The 2000th assessment occurred in Peaceful Valley, a rural foothills community along the Peak to Peak Highway in northern Boulder County. Wildfire Partners Mitigation Specialist Matt Tobler performed the assessment for homeowners Kara and Waldy Baumgart.

Peaceful Valley residents Maura Christoph and Kent Searl own property in the area that has been Wildfire Partners certified, and they have been instrumental in spreading the word and getting fellow neighbors to apply.

“Meeting the mitigation specialist was an extremely pleasant and educational experience,” said Maura. “Doing the defensible space work has enhanced our views and made me feel better about the threat of wildfire. My experience encouraged me to talk to our neighbors and share the information. I’m thrilled so many Peaceful Valley residents have joined the program.”

Residents of Boulder County living in the wildfire zone are eligible to apply for the program. Homeowners accepted into the program receive an on-site mitigation assessment with a wildfire mitigation specialist. The assessment covers everything from evaluating the exterior of a home to marking trees and vegetation for defensible space creation. Free assessments are currently being offered to Boulder County homeowners who are new to the program for 2019.

This past spring, Wildfire Partners received a $1.2 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), allowing the program to offer financial assistance for forestry work for 500 properties new to the program.

Wildfire Partners has become a model program for the western U.S. and frequently gets requests from other communities for advice on starting similar programs.

For more information or to apply to Wildfire Partners, visit www.wildfirepartners.org.

Wildfire Partners mitigation specialist Matt Tobler, left, meets with Kara and Waldy Baumgart at their cabin in Peaceful Valley on Tuesday, August 20, 2019. The Baumgart's were the 2000th wildfire mitigation assessment performed by Wildfire Partners.