Uptick in free wildfire mitigation services in Colorado mountain communities

Summit County, Colorado, as a whole, is taking a closer look at wildfire risk as a dry winter raises concerns about what the months ahead could bring. Local fire officials said the focus right now is preparation, before any flames ever start. That's why they're hoping people will take advantage of their free wildfire mitigation inspections.

For some residents, that concern is already getting personal. Bruce and Lorrie Schroffel said there is a noticeable level of unease this year, with Bruce Schroffel admitting it's "the anxiety that we all have this year." Watching recent fires across Colorado and those in recent memory has only added concern.

"We love our house, we love our neighborhood, so we'd hate to see it burn," he said.

That anxiety is pushing more people to act. The Schroffels said they have started looking more closely at their own property, realizing some risks they had not considered before, thanks to a complimentary walkthrough inspection provided by Summit Fire & EMS.

"Wouldn't realize how flammable some of the grasses were near the house," Bruce Schroffel said, adding that he's learned even low vegetation can pose a threat in the right conditions.

Summit Fire and EMS said that kind of awareness is exactly what its crews are hoping to see.

Community Resource Officer Steve Lipsher said wildfire damage often does not come from a towering wall of flames, but from something less dramatic and more dangerous.

"It's a fire some distance away and an ember shower coming down and raining red hot embers and starting little spot fires everywhere," Lipsher said. 

Inspectors explained that embers can ignite the smallest fuels around a home, including pine needles, dead leaves, and dry grass. Lipsher said clearing those materials is one of the most effective steps homeowners can take. If embers land where there is nothing to burn, they simply go out.

He also warned that this isn't just about one person's property; their neighborhood is counting on them, too.

"If one home catches fire, it will help the next home catch fire and so forth," he said, describing neighborhoods as only as strong as their least prepared property.

The demand for this sort of walk-through service is already high, according to SF&EMS. Lipsher referenced that their phone has been "ringing off the hook" with interested property owners trying to prepare the best they can.

While the situation may feel serious, Lipsher stressed that preparation is about staying ahead of the problem, not panicking.

"Let's take a deep breath and figure out what is the best way we can be prepared right now," he said. "While there is no crisis happening."