Mitigation Efforts Key As 2021 Wildfire Season Approaches May Is Wildfire Awareness Month On the heels of the state’s three largest wildfires on record in 2020, and with several wildfires already occurring in Colorado in 2021, wildland fire professionals have issued dire warnings of what’s to come in the year ahead due to Colorado’s pervasive drought conditions and predictions of above-average temperatures through early summer.
southern Colorado and into the central part of the state by the second half of the month, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Traditionally, Colorado faces the most wildfires during June and July. Continuing our collaborative and proactive outreach to members and residents throughout the state, the Colorado Association of REALTORS® Project Wildfire Taskforce is partnering with local associations to support numerous local mitigation programs and education events taking place across the state. From sharing of resources and suggested activities that homeowners can undertake to help mitigate their properties and prepare for the unexpected to tool kits, apps, portals and more, the information and events are focused on helping educate and raise awareness among our state’s residents as we enter the 2021 wildfire season.
Despite near record-setting March snow seen across much of the state, snowpack remains below average in the mountains across Colorado and the concerns and challenges facing local, state and federal wildland firefighters, as well as millions of Colorado residents, become even greater as the calendar turns to the most challenging months of the year. With May designated as Wildfire Awareness Month, wildfire experts, as well as insurance and REALTOR® professionals are encouraging the nearly three million Colorado residents living in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) to prepare their homes and communities for wildfire in the weeks and months ahead.
“We want to be better prepared to protect the resources that are so important to all of us,” said Governor Jared Polis. In addition, Polis has called on owners of houses built in areas at risk for wildfires to prepare for their potential, taking responsibility to clear “home perimeter” defensible space that could slow a wildfire and help firefighters protect them.
The spring outlook points to “above normal” potential for large wildfires through May and “above normal significant fire potential” is predicted to continue, expanding in June across
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