Greenleaf can perform fire mitigation operations on your forests that will make your property more resilient to wildfire and look better too!
Our scheduled work will help insure that your property stays safe and retains its value now and for future generations.
Photo of the Junkins Fire from 2016. Photo credit - Junkins Fire Incident Command
As you are probably aware, Colorado has recently been experiencing some of the worst fires in its history. There are many factors that contribute to wildfires that are out of a landowner's hands including weather and drought. There are factors that are in a landowner's control that can reduce the impact of wildfire on their land and potentially save houses and other structures. Poor or no management of forestlands can result in overly dense stands that lead to disease and mountain pine beetle outbreaks, creating the conditions for severe impact from wildfire.
Greenleaf receives frequent inquiry on how to improve property resistance to wildfires- here are the most common ones.
What can Greenleaf do for me?
We can create forestry plans and layout projects to help you decide what work is best and fits your budget. We can remove brush and understory vegetation, thin out overly dense stands, remove disease or mountain pine beetle trees, or whatever you want for your property. Forestry operations can be done by our crew or a trusted contractor to make sure the work is done in a timely manner and to a high standard.
Create defensible space around your home and perform regular maintenance of your home by using fire resistant materials and building methods.
Remove overly dense trees, dead/dying trees, debris, slash, and deadfall in the understory of your forest.
Remove trees along your driveway for a safer escape route and for easier access by emergency responders.
Install shaded and open-space fuel breaks at strategic locations around your property
Reduce fuel under and near utility lines, in cooperation with your utility company
See the diagram below for more fire saftey tips for your home
You can also see the Custer County Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for more information about fire risk in our area. The CWPP identifies 17 landscape neighborhoods in the County - based on common access and problems and offers many practical ways to protect against wildfire. This includes fire hazard mitigation projects you can do or hire done. An annual work plan is recommended.
The analysis and recommendations are widely applicable to other Colorado counties.
Additional wildfire safety checklists to help protect your property:
