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Library

Fire Adapted Park County · Library

Wildfire Knowledge
& Reference Library

Curated articles, guides, and reference materials to help Park County residents understand wildfire risk, harden their homes, and make sense of the science behind fire and smoke.

Guides & manuals

Home Hardening & Defensible Space

Practical guides for reducing wildfire risk to your home and property.

PDF
CSFS Home Ignition Zone Guide
 DOCX
Understanding the Home Ignition Zone
 DOCX
Understanding Home Hardening
 PDF
Low Flammability Landscape Plants

Colorado risk

Understanding Wildfire Risk in Colorado

Local reporting and data on how wildfire risk plays out here in Colorado.

Wildfires in Colorado Cost $130 Million in 2018
Colorado Sun · Nov 2018
Can Colorado Burn Its Way Out of a Wildfire Crisis?
5280 Magazine · Sep 2018
We’ve Entered The Era of “Fire Tsunamis”
Grist · Jul 2018 (Spring Creek Fire, CO)
Proactive Firebreaks Protect Nearly $1 Billion in Homes During Colorado Wildfire
U.S. Forest Service Blog · Jun 2018
2018 CO Wildfires Part Of Worst Year In History
Newsweek · Aug 2018
Fires Are White-Hot Signs of Climate Change in Our Backyard
The Denver Post · Jun 2018
California Wildfires Are A Wake-Up Call for Colorado
The Denver Post · Nov 2017
With Warming, A Terrifying New Normal For Firefighters
YaleEnvironment360 (video) · Aug 2015
Fantastic Failure: False Hope and the Four Mile Canyon Fire
Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network · 2018 (Boulder Co., CO)
Helping Our Senior Community Prepare
Fire Adapted Network
LINK
Platte Canyon FPD Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)
 PDF
Forest Stewards Guild — CWPP Kickoff Presentation

Case studies

Wildfire Case Studies

In-depth looks at some of the most destructive wildfires in recent U.S. history — what happened, and what communities learned.

“We Have Fire Everywhere” — Escaping California’s Deadliest Blaze
NYT Magazine · Jul 2019
Here’s How Paradise Ignored Warnings and Became a Deathtrap
LA Times · Dec 2018
150 Minutes of Hell: Inside the Carr Fire’s Tornado of Flames
San Francisco Chronicle · Dec 2018
The New Abnormal: Why Fires Like Paradise Will Happen Again and Again
The Guardian · Dec 2018
Fire-Resistant Is Not Fire-Proof, California Homeowners Discover
NPR · Dec 2018
How a Quiet California Town Protects Itself Against Today’s Megafires
Mashable · Nov 2018
Trapped in the Fire Zone
Slate · Nov 2018
The California Town Destroyed By the Camp Fire Wasn’t Prepared
BuzzFeed News · Nov 2018
What Started As a Tiny Brush Fire Became the State’s Deadliest Wildfire
LA Times · Nov 2018
Here’s What It’s Like to Lose Your Home in California’s Wildfires
Mother Jones · Aug 2018
What It Felt Like Inside the Fire Tornado That Killed a Firefighter
CNN · Aug 2018
California Wildfires Are Breaking the Rules by Burning Downhill Fast
KQED / PBS NewsHour · Jul 2018
Neighborhoods Destroyed by Wildfire Being Rebuilt Without Fire-Safe Standards
Wildfire Today · Apr 2019
Tubbs Fire: How Its Deadly March from Calistoga to Santa Rosa Unfolded
Press Democrat · 2017
Map of Camp Fire survivor relocations across the U.S.

Some survivors of the 2018 Camp Fire moved across the U.S. to start over.

Fire science

Fire Science, Prescribed Fire & Smoke

How fire behaves, how prescribed burns are used to reduce risk, and how smoke from prescribed fire compares to smoke from wildfire.

PDF
Fire FAQs: Air Quality Impacts from Prescribed Fire and Wildfire — Oregon State University Extension, 2018
National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook
National Interagency Fire Center · Monthly
Firefighters Get New Tool for Predicting Wildfire Danger
Wildfire Today · Feb 2019
Raging Wildfires Send Scientists Scrambling to Study Health Effects
Nature · Sep 2018
Wildfires Make Their Own Weather, And That Matters for Fire Management
Science News · Sep 2018
Enormous Wildfires Spark Scramble to Improve Fire Models
Nature · Aug 2018
Setting Fires to Control Wildfires: A Profound Change in Washington State
The Seattle Times · Oct 2018
Fighting Fire with Fire: California Turns to Prescribed Burning
YaleEnvironment360 · Sep 2018
Friendly Fire: Can Neighborhood Burn Squads Save California?
Grist · Jan 2019
Start-Up Blue Forest Secures Funding for First Privately Financed Forest Fire Bond
LA Times · Nov 2018
Wildfire — The Answer
Wildfire Magazine · Mar 2018
Full Community Costs of Wildfire
Headwaters Economics · May 2018
Who Will Pay for Wildfire Damages?
KQED News · Jul 2018
Good Fire, Bad Fire
Front Range Fuels Treatment Partnership · 2007
Forest Restoration Guidelines in Ponderosa Pine on the Front Range of Colorado
Front Range Fuels Treatment Partnership · 2007
U.S. Forest Service graphic showing how mitigation fosters resilient landscapes

Resiliency plays a big role in how forests survive and recover from wildfire. Graphic: U.S. Forest Service.

Climate

Climate & Wildfire

How a changing climate is reshaping fire seasons, fire behavior, and the systems built to respond to them.

Inside Australia’s Plan to Survive Bigger, Badder Bushfires
MIT Technology Review · Apr 2019
Air Purification Sales Surge as Canadians Anticipate Smoky Summer
CBC News · Apr 2019
The Only Thing Fire Scientists Are Sure Of: This Will Get Worse
Wired · Aug 2018
How Wildfires Are Polluting Rivers and Threatening Water Supplies
YaleEnvironment360 · Oct 2018
Hellfire — This Is What Our Future Looks Like
The Guardian · Oct 2018
The Causes and Solutions to Today’s Worldwide Megafires
The University Network · Aug 2018
We Contained the Horrors of Wildfires Before. We Can Do It Again.
CNN · Nov 2018
We Need a Better Social Contract with Wildfire
High Country News · Dec 2017
Can ‘Moneyball’ Fix How the West Manages Wildfire?
KUOW / Earthfix · Jul 2018

Find what you need

Alerts & Monitoring Tools

Sign up for these before you need them — emergency notification systems and real-time tracking tools for wildfire and air quality, all in one place.

CodeRED
Park County’s free emergency notification system
LookoutAlert
Jefferson County emergency notifications
Smart911
Share your household info with 911 dispatch in advance
NIXLE Alerts
Public safety and community alerts from local agencies
InciWeb
Track active wildfires across the United States
Watch Duty
Real-time wildfire tracking and alerts
PurpleAir
Real-time air quality map from a community sensor network
IQAir
Global air quality tracking and forecasting app
MyRadar
Weather radar app with wildfire smoke plume overlays
AirNow.gov
EPA air quality index reports and forecasts
CDPHE Air Quality Alerts
Email alerts for wildfire smoke and air quality advisories
National Weather Service Wildfire Safety
Fire weather forecasts and preparedness information

Find what you need

Evacuation & Emergency Preparedness

A written plan and a packed go-bag can make all the difference when an evacuation notice comes. Start with these.

PDF
Go-Bag Checklist
 PDF
Evacuation Plan Template
 DOCX
Personal Evacuation Plan Template
 PDF
Family Emergency Preparedness Guide
 PDF
Children at Home Alone
 PDF
Senior Evacuation Planning Presentation
View the full Evacuation Planning page →
View the full Emergency Preparedness Tools page →

Find what you need

Mountain Pine Beetle & Forest Health

Identify, prevent, and treat Mountain Pine Beetle infestations before they spread.

PDF
Bark Beetle Inspector Identification & Treatment Guide
My Tree ID
Identify tree species by leaf, bark, or location
Leafsnap
Photo-based tree and plant identification app
Verbenone Bulk Purchase
FAPCo’s pheromone packet program to protect healthy trees
Beetle Blitz
FAPCo’s mountain pine beetle mitigation project
View the full Mountain Pine Beetle page →

Find what you need

Chainsaw Use & Safety

Using a chainsaw in Park County means operating under specific legal requirements designed to protect our mountain community from wildfire.

PDF
Chainsaw Safety Checklist Guide
 PDF
Chainsaw First Aid Reference
 LINK
Park County Chainsaw Safety Ordinance
 LINK
NWCG S-111 Beginner Chainsaw Safety Training
View the full Chainsaw Use & Safety page →

Find what you need

Mitigation Help & Contractors

Guides on funding and reducing your property’s wildfire risk, plus vetted local contractors for the work itself.

PDF
Living With Wildfire in Park County
 PDF
Mitigation Help from CORE
 PDF
Forestry Contractors Working in Bailey
 PDF
Wildfire Prepared Forestry Contractors List
Got 5
Neighbor-to-neighbor program connecting residents who need help with those who can lend it
View the full Resources page →
View the full contractor tables →

Find what you need

Partner Organizations & Regional Coordination

The agencies and organizations FAPCo works alongside across Park County and the region.

Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center
Regional wildland fire tracking, weather, and restrictions — 303-445-4322
Rotary Wildfire Ready App
Rotary Wildfire Ready
Rotary Wildfire Ready Digital Brochures
Rotary Wildfire Ready
Colorado Forest Atlas
Colorado State Forest Service
Fire Networks
Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network
Park County Emergency Management
The county’s lead agency for emergency preparedness and response
View all 7 Fire Protection Districts & full partner list →