Wildland fire disaster prevention

This case study looks closer at a Colorado house, certified by Wildfire Partners, which avoided burning in 2016 by wildfire. On 8 July 2016, a poorly extinguished campfire ignited a wildfire in Colorado's mountains. No one died, but two thousand people evacuated and eight houses completely burned.

Eight other houses in the torched forest survived unscathed. They were certified by Wildfire Partners and had implemented pre-fire damage mitigation. The cost for all the measures is estimated at under $90,000 per house with the property in the photo valued at over $1.3 million in 2023.

Wildfire damage mitigation is good value-for-money (and avoids stress) given the near-certainty of a nearby fire over the house's lifetime. Earth observations support wildfire damage mitigation through monitoring and mapping such as vegetation, slopes, and winds. The data warn of potential and actual fire ignition and spread, assisting with preparation and response.