Cohesive Strategy for Fire Mitigation in Teller County

Cohesive Strategy for Fire Mitigation in Teller County Fire Adapted Communities, Effective Wildfire Response.

The Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy: a strategic push to work collaboratively among all stakeholders and all landscapes, using best science, to make progress towards: Resilient Landscapes. The Cohesive Strategy strives to protect and preserve the forest health, water quality, wildlife habitat, and communities within the San Juan, Chama, and Rio Grande Watershed Landscapes. It implements

a cohesive approach that supports a coordinated, landscape-scale effort that emphasizes public and private partnerships, bridges geographic boundaries, and addresses agency management constraints to deliver integrated results that cannot be accomplished when working separately. Community and stakeholder engagement across boundaries
Leveraging of resources to amplify on-the-ground fuel mitigation and vegetation management efforts
Education and outreach about wildfire, prescribed fire, managed fire, and smoke

I often hear people say the answer to structure ignition—and keeping fire insurance—is a metal roof and stucco siding.I ...
04/12/2026

I often hear people say the answer to structure ignition—and keeping fire insurance—is a metal roof and stucco siding.

I understand why. Both are good materials, and they absolutely have value. But they are not a guarantee.

What many people don’t realize is that homes are rarely lost in a wildfire because of direct flame contact. The real driver is embers (firebrands), lofted by wind and raining down on homes for 40 minutes to 2+ hours before the flame front even arrives.

Even a home with a metal roof and stucco siding can be destroyed if those embers find vulnerabilities:
• Entering attic vents (where many of us store paper boxes and other flammable materials
• Collecting in gutters and igniting underlying materials
• Accumulating at the foundation and igniting sheathing behind stucco
• Getting under decks or into small gaps and seams

Another critical issue is breaches in the structure itself. Broken windows, non-tempered glass, pet doors, or even garage doors that flex under heat and wind can create openings that allow embers to enter the home. Once inside, ignition can occur in curtains, furniture, or stored materials—causing the structure to burn from the inside out, often before exterior materials ever fail.

All modern building materials—when properly installed—are fire-rated. Class A asphalt shingles perform well. Engineered siding products can too. The issue isn’t just the materials, it is the system and the details.

Homes should have:
• Metal flashing at transitions and edges
• Ember-resistant (fire-rated) vent screens
• Enclosed eaves and sealed gaps
• Clean, noncombustible zones around the foundation

Our inspections consistently show that these critical details are often missing.

Wildfire resilience isn’t about one fireproof material, it’s about eliminating ignition points and managing how embers interact with your home.

That’s where the real difference is made.

Jack Cohen, wildland fire researcher extraordinaire:"If your home doesn't ignite, it can't burn.""We don't have a forest...
03/31/2026

Jack Cohen, wildland fire researcher extraordinaire:
"If your home doesn't ignite, it can't burn."
"We don't have a forest fire problem, we have a home ignition problem."
"The neighborhood that doesn't work together... will surely burn together."
"Wildfire is inevitable, but community destruction doesn’t have to be."
"It's the little things that count when preparing a home for wildland fire."

Please share this message on your feed to get lots of people to see: When “Free Pine Needle Drop-Off Days” Send the Wron...
03/28/2026

Please share this message on your feed to get lots of people to see:

When “Free Pine Needle Drop-Off Days” Send the Wrong Message

Each year, many communities promote “free pine needle drop-off days” as part of wildfire mitigation efforts. While well-intentioned, these programs can unintentionally create a misleading impression: that pine needles themselves are inherently dangerous and should be removed from the forest floor across an entire property.

That conclusion is not only inaccurate—it can lead homeowners to spend valuable time and energy on work that does little to improve the survivability of their homes during a wildfire.

Where Pine Needles Actually Matter: According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the research behind its Assessing Structure Ignition Potential (ASIP) framework, the most critical wildfire risk to homes is not a sweeping wall of flames, but embers, small, wind-driven firebrands that can travel miles ahead of a fire front.

These embers ignite homes when they accumulate in vulnerable locations, such as:
* Roofs and gutters
* Under decks
* Around windows and siding transitions
* In corners and crevices where debris collects

In these specific areas, pine needles absolutely are a problem. Dry, compacted needles can easily ignite and provide the initial fuel that allows a structure fire to begin. Removing them from "on and immediately around the home, especially within the first 5 to 10 feet, is critical and highly effective."

Where Pine Needles Are Not the Problem: Beyond that immediate zone, however, the role of pine needles changes entirely. A layer of needles on the forest floor is a natural and beneficial part of the ecosystem. These needles:
* Protect tree roots from temperature extremes
* Help retain soil moisture
* Support fungi and microbial life that return nutrients to the soil
* Reduce erosion and stabilize the forest floor

From a fire behavior standpoint, this layer of needles is typically not a significant ignition threat to a structure, unless it is directly adjacent to it. In fact, removing all ground cover can sometimes make conditions worse by drying out soils and encouraging more volatile vegetation growth.

The Cost of Misplaced Effort: When homeowners interpret messaging to mean that all pine needles must be removed, they often undertake the enormous task of raking entire properties, sometimes acres, clean of natural ground cover.
This work is:
* Time-consuming
* Physically demanding
* Often repeated multiple times per season
* And, most importantly, "low-impact in terms of home survivability"

Meanwhile, the most critical vulnerabilities—those small, overlooked ignition points near the structure—may remain unaddressed.

A Better Use of Time and Energy: If the goal is to improve the likelihood that a home survives a wildfire, there are far more effective actions homeowners can take—many of which require no more effort than raking a yard, but produce dramatically better results.
These include:
* Removing pine needles and debris from roofs and gutters
* Clearing all combustible materials within 5–10 feet of the home
* Eliminating ember traps around decks, siding, and foundations
* Removing flammable items from under decks
* Replacing highly combustible furniture (such as wicker) with more fire-resistant materials like metal
* Avoiding placement of potting soil (which often contains wood products) on decks
* Installing ember-resistant vent screens where appropriate

These are the measures that directly address how homes actually ignite.

Reframing the Message: “Free pine needle drop-off days” can still play a useful role, but the messaging around them matters.
Instead of implying that pine needles across an entire property are hazardous, these programs should emphasize:
* "Targeted removal" near structures
* The importance of the "Immediate Zone (0–5 feet)"
* And the science of "ember-driven ignition"

Homeowners don’t need to sterilize their landscape to be safe. They need to understand where risk truly exist... and focus their efforts there. Wildfire preparedness is not about removing nature from the landscape. It is about "understanding how homes ignite and taking precise, effective action".

Pine needles on a roof or in a gutter can cost a home.

Pine needles on the forest floor, away from the structure, are part of a healthy system.

The difference matters, and so does how we communicate it.

https://www.nofloco.org/learn-to-mitigate

Before and after fire mitigation work:

03/24/2026

We have been looking at two commonly recommended fire mitigation tools—WASP sprinkler systems and mountain pine beetle pheromone packets—and I’m starting to wonder if each might create unintended consequences.

I completely understand the instinct behind pre-wetting your home ahead of a wildfire. But a few practical concerns stand out. If the power goes out (which it often does during fires), most of us on wells lose water pressure—so the system may not function when it’s needed most. And in areas like ours with interconnected wells, I also wonder: if enough homes are running these systems, could we actually draw down the aquifer? I don’t have the answer, but the idea of returning from an evacuation to find your well dry raises a real question—are we trading one risk for another?

The second one is beetle pheromone packets. As I understand it, they work by signaling to mountain pine beetles that a tree is already “occupied,” pushing them to move on. That may protect an individual tree, but it also seems like it just redirects the problem to neighboring properties rather than reducing it overall. That doesn’t feel like a complete solution—more like shifting pressure around the landscape.

I’m still learning, so I’m genuinely curious—what am I missing here? Are these concerns overblown, or are there better approaches people have seen work in real-world conditions?

The growth of the 24 Fire is not inherently negative—fire management is a complex balancing act where containment is onl...
03/24/2026

The growth of the 24 Fire is not inherently negative—fire management is a complex balancing act where containment is only one of several objectives. In some situations, fires are allowed to burn into designated, lower-risk areas rather than being immediately suppressed.

In landscapes with natural fire breaks and minimal infrastructure, allowing fire to move through can provide ecological benefits. For hundreds of thousands of years, many forests experienced low-intensity burnovers every 4–40 years. These fires reduced surface fuels, recycled nutrients, moderated soil chemistry, and produced charcoal that supports microbial and fungal ecosystems.

At a conference I attended, a representative from the Moore Foundation cited research suggesting that roughly 17% of wildland fire impacts are “problematic” (affecting structures or infrastructure), while the majority—around 83%—result in ecological improvement. The emerging strategy is to prioritize protection of the wildland–urban interface (WUI), enabling fire to function more naturally in wildland areas.

More frequent, lower-intensity fires reduce accumulated biomass, which in turn lowers fire severity. Instead of catastrophic, high-intensity events, fire can return to its historical role as a regenerative process.

This approach aligns with work by Jack Cohen and the National Fire Protection Association on home hardening, as well as Stephen J. Pyne’s research on adapting to fire-prone environments. The emphasis is on preparing structures to withstand fire, rather than attempting to eliminate fire entirely.

On my own 100-acre property, I’ve completed mitigation and hardened my home. Surface fuels and ladder fuels have been removed, diseased and overcrowded trees thinned, and canopy spacing brought to recommended levels. From a forest health perspective, the next step would ideally be a low-intensity ground fire.

This represents a shift in thinking: instead of fearing fire, we manage risk at the structure level and allow fire to play its natural role where appropriate. The more we invest in mitigation and home hardening, the more we can move toward using fire as a tool for long-term ecosystem health rather than treating it solely as a threat.

06/03/2025

Considering the chaos in California regarding cleanup and rebuilding after the disastrous fires, the citizens of Teller County need to know exactly what plans are in place for such an event here in Teller County.

All the experts say a devastating fire is sure to happen in Teller County, as all the scientific metrics say Teller is high fire danger risk, high structure ignition potential, and high burn intensity.

We have an Office of Emergency Management "Manager", but no "Director" since Teague was demoted and resigned. OEM office reports to a deputy sheriff now instead of directly to the County Commissioners, since 2024.

The high-intensity fire that is said to be certain to race through Teller County at some point will certainly be an emergency.

OEM Office likely has a plan for the fire portion of the emergency (it gets turned over to the state after about 6 hours, then the federal officials after about 24 hours), but what about the recovery/aftermath of the emergency?

Most of us expect that the people we elect are thinking about these issues and have plans in place for the post-disaster recovery. It turns out California did not have a plan, and still has not come up with good solutions. The same thing happened in Boulder County after the Marshall Fire. We should learn from their mistakes.

Teller County, what is the leadership plan, where can we read it, who will be in charge, and what is happening now so that community members can act proactively in this coming disaster? Just as East Coast towns know a hurricane will happen, we know a major fire will happen. All metrics indicate human-caused wildland fire is on the rise. We need not wait until there is chaos before we begin to understand the process and the procedures.

06/02/2025

VolksMarch: Saturday, June 7, 2025. 9 am - 2 pm. Volksmarch, also known as a "people's walk," will be a recreational and educational walking event covering up to 3 miles of hiking (you can visit one or all learning centers to customize your hike to 0.1 to 3+ miles) in Florissant’s Indian Creek. It is at 965 Pathfinder Road, Florissant, CO and there will be signage to help everyone find their way.

We hope the community will attend. It will be a very fun, easy to enjoy event. Walk as far as like, and visit just a few tables if you like. The food should be yummy and we are just going to celebrate being in a healthy forest, learning a bit more, and enjoying nature and the great outdoors. Invite everyone you know, as there will be fun for all ages.

Getting there: Hwy 24 to Florissant, North at CR 31, R on CR 3 (Wildhorn), R at Arapahoe Creek, watch for event signs to the private property. Do not rely on WAZE or Google Maps, as cell service will fail, and those services take one to a closed road.

Food: Concessions for a suggested donation will be brats and hotdogs, with a wide arrangement of fixins, including pepper jack cheese, chili, onions, ketchup, mustard, relish, and chips, with HOMEMADE lemonade.

Dogs: This is a dog friendly event, but remember that all dogs must be on a leash and please clean up after your dog.

Sponsors are Hitchin’ Post Trailers and Tractors, Lake George; Iron Tree Restaurant/Funkytown Brewery, Florissant; Pikes Peak Plein Air Painters; and CORE Electric, Sadalia.

Door prizes are provided by Gearlab in Woodland Park, The North Pole in Cascade, Hitchin' Post in Lake George, and The Quarry in Florissant, and more.

Local team members: Mueller State Park, Florissant; Teller/Park Conservation District; and Shipping Plus, Divide.

“Passports” will be provided to track your participation in the learning centers. Submitting a completed passport will enter attendees to win one of the many prizes given at the end of the day. Participants can build a bracelet from semi-precious beads collected at the learning centers, which will teach forest health, nature, and fire mitigation fundamentals.

The event is free for attendees, and a family-friendly outdoor event that requires walking on both flat and steep trails. Proper footwear is recommended.

The educational centers/tables are listed (below). We have lots of things to see, touch, and take home at the tables. Remember, you do not need to be an expert, just have enough knowledge to answer basic questions, and keep people engaged for 10 minutes.

Weather: If it storms, guests will be sent to their cars to await the passing of the storm. Our storms are usually less than an hour long.

_LEARNING CENTERS__________________________

Welcome and Orientation: welcome, give maps, passports, collection bag, and answer questions.

Foraging: Sponsored by Iron Tree Restaurant/Funkytown Brewery - Share foraged salad with custom dressing with hikers. Educate about and promote Iron Tree and Funkytown Brewery.

Tree ID: Educate hikers on local tree species (ponderosa, fir, spruce, aspen), have samples of leaves/branches, tell a little about these four species, and perhaps others that you may want to add.

Local wildflowers: Educate hikers on local wildflowers, how they feed birds, bees, and other wildlife. Pass out wildflower seeds.

Invasive and noxious weeds: Educate hikers on which are "bad", why, and what can be done to suppress invasives. CSFS has lots of info on this. Thistles are the common ones.

Local wildlife, and how to live successfully with them: Educate hikers on the risks of feeding wildlife and the importance of letting wildlife remain wild.

Home Hardening: Explain to hikers the importance of home hardening to protect structures from wildland fire. Discuss upcoming wire mesh clinic.

Fire Mitigation to improve forest health: Educate hikers on the important benefits of fire mitigation, and how a healthy forest resists dangerous fires.

Tree Felling and chainsaws: Sponsored by Hitchin’ Post Trailers and Tractors, Lake George: Educate public on basic saw safety/tree felling safety. Demo tree felling on the top each hour.

Birding: Birding/habitat trees/bird feeding/common and uncommon birds in our area. Hummingbird fundamentals.

Plein Air Painters: Sponsored and manned by Pikes Peak Plein Air Painters - painting art demo and samples.

Tree diseases and pests: Educate hikers on the most common tree diseases and their remedies.

NoFloCo Fire Mitigation is purchasing coated wire mesh wholesale to provide “at cost” to the community. This WildFire De...
05/02/2025

NoFloCo Fire Mitigation is purchasing coated wire mesh wholesale to provide “at cost” to the community. This WildFire Defense Mesh is 1/16” ember repelling mesh which prevents home/structure ignition as tested by National Fire Protection Association.
The Wire Mesh Clinic will be June 28 and 29,2025 location to be determined. Volunteers are needed to assist with the cutting and distribution.
Wire mesh installation is an important step in home hardening against wildfire. To ensure access discounted top quality mesh at this discount, we need community members to “pre-order” the mesh, lowering both price and shipping costs.
Wildfire Defense Mesh has a Community Mesh Estimator on their website, and has added NoFloCo Fire Mitigation Posse as a neighborhood distributor. By going to this website, you can learn how to measure, estimate your need, and install the mesh. Filling out the form will add you to our “bulk order”. Our special bulk ordering price is $4—$6 sq. ft. with no charge for shipping, as NoFloCo will pay the shipping charge to keep prices rock bottom for the community.
You may also reach out to David Wise at WiseWorks to have him measure, estimate your need and install the mesh. His number/email for texting/calling/emailing 512-284-2251 and [email protected]
Feel free to call/text/email Don Moore at 719-839-0860, [email protected] if you have questions or want to volunteer.

Go to “https://www.wildfiredefensemesh.com/community/home”
Click on “Retrofitting Vents” and “Enclosing Decks” to learn how to measure, fit, and install the mesh. There are short (under 10 minute) videos to assist you.
Measure the areas you want to protect. The mesh is costly, so you want to measure accurately to save yourself money.
Scroll to very near the bottom of the page to “Vent and Mesh Retrofit Estimator”, filling out the form, and selecting NoFloCo Fire Mitigation Posse from the dropdown box under “Community”
Pick up and pay for your mesh at the June 28 & 29 Wire Mesh Clinic, or arrange for an alternative pick up date.

There is no need to pre-register; show up rain or shine. I will "pass a hat" ($5?) to thank Mr. Hanson for his time and ...
05/02/2025

There is no need to pre-register; show up rain or shine. I will "pass a hat" ($5?) to thank Mr. Hanson for his time and expertise as he discusses lower-cost, simple solutions to assist our trees NOW to prevent tree loss on private property. Mr. Hanson does not do this work professionally. He removes dead or infested trees. This is an effort from someone who has nothing to profit from to discuss, educate, and advise laypersons.

CSFS brochure on Bark Beetle:https://static.colostate.edu/client-files/csfs/pdfs/MPB_Newspaper_Insert_Final.pdf

CSFS Brochure on Spruce Budworm:https://csfs.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Spruce-Beetle-QuickGuide-FM2014-1.pdf

04/06/2025

Wildfire Defense To Help Your Home

We all remember this scene, while at home why not start to mitigate?

No home is fireproof, but by taking precautions, you can help prepare your home.

Help Protect Your Home Against Wildfire Damage

So what can you do to help protect yourself, your home and property from wildfires? Here are some tips for preparing your home and yard against a wildfire.

Creating Defensible Space
Create a zone around your house that will slow the wildfire down and possibly direct it around your home. To do this, you must view your yard as a fuel source. Fire will only burn if fuel is present. Fuel can be your landscaping, woodpiles, decks, etc. To create your defensible space, take the following steps within 30 feet of your home, 50 feet if you live in a heavily treed area or 100 feet if your home is on a hillside. If you live in California, a minimum of 100 feet is required.

Introduce more native vegetation.
Space trees at least 10 feet apart.
Remove dead or dying trees and shrubs.
Keep trees and shrubs pruned. Branches should be a minimum of 6 feet from the ground and shrubs under trees should be no more than 18 inches high.
Mow your lawn regularly and dispose promptly of cuttings and debris.
Maintain your irrigation system.
Clear your roof, gutters and eaves of debris.
Trim branches so they do not extend over roof or near the chimney.
Move firewood and storage tanks 50 feet away from home and clear areas at least 10 feet around them.
Store flammable liquids in approved metal safety cans.
Do not connect wooden fencing directly to your home.
Keep the grounds around your home free of pine needles.

Create a Plan
Become familiar with your community’s disaster preparedness plans and create a plan for your family. Identify escape routes from your home and neighborhood and designate an emergency meeting place for your family to reunite if you become separated.
Put together an emergency kit that includes first aid supplies; a portable NOAA weather radio; basic tools; a flashlight; work gloves; fresh batteries for each piece of equipment; clothing: blankets; baby items; prescription medications; extra car and house keys; extra eyeglasses; credit cards and cash; important documents, including insurance policies.

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Florissant, CO
80816

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