The Manitou Springs Planning Department and the Fire Department are urging residents to take action now to reduce wildfire risk for your property.
If you are planning new landscaping and undertaking yard maintenance, understand what increases your risk and look for opportunities to reduce it. Become familiar with fire mitigation principles and consider what is appropriate to reduce risk on your property.
The area where wilderness areas and structures mix is called the Wildland Urban Interface, or WUI. Most of Manitou Springs is considered WUI, requiring residents to be particularly careful to protect their property from the risk of wildfire.
Manitou is a fire-adaptive community, which means the community is learning to live with fire risk and is taking responsibility and implementing actions to reduce it.
The three main types of wildfire mitigation are vegetative, structural and maintenance. All property owners can apply some of these principles.
Check out these resources:
Manitou-specific “Tips to Protect Your Property from Wildfire,” tinyurl.com/bceykuku;
Manitou Springs Fire Department Mitigation Resources, tinyurl.com/wm2n3j5y;
Colorado State Forest Service: Home Ignition Zone Checklists, csfs.colostate.edu/wildfire-mitigation/home-ignition-zone-checklists; and
Colorado State Forest Service: Wildfire Mitigation Guide, csfs.colostate.edu.
If you would like a wildfire mitigation consultation for your property, contact the Manitou Springs Fire Department at 685-1444.