Colorado Post Wildfire Guide : A Resource for Colorado Communites

The Colorado Post-Wildfire Guide is a consolidated resource intended to assist individuals, families, and communities as they prepare for and recover from a wildfire, and then determine next steps in planning for post-wildfire hazards and navigating the recovery process. The development of this guide was an interagency effort led by the Colorado Silver Jackets team with support from many partnering local, state, and Federal agencies.

This guide is timely as the State of Colorado continues to experience catastrophic wildfires, which have continued to increase in severity over the past several decades. Throughout the 1960s and the 1970s, wildfires in Colorado destroyed less than 100,000 acres per decade. Throughout the 2000s, the total increased to over 1,000,000 acres, including Colorado's largest recorded wildfire, the Cameron Peak Fire of 2020, which burned over 208,000 acres. As devastating as wildfires can be, the impacts are not over once the flames have died down. Whether a wildfire burns through a community or the watershed above a community, significant hazards and challenges may persist for years or even decades. Working with subject-matter experts, only the most relevant information and useful resources have been included in this guide to reduce confusion and outline clear, identifiable actions individuals, families, and communities can take before, during, and after a wildfire to be safe.

The main content topics in the guide include the following: 

• Know Your Risk
• Resources to Help Residents Stay Safe Before, During, and After a Wildfire
• Post-Wildfire Hazards
• Planning Ahead
• Mobilize Your Community Before and After a Wildfire
• Risk Reduction
• Recovery Programs