Strapped with $20 million, new wildfire mitigation board meets for the first time

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- On a day when fire danger in Colorado Springs is as low as it's been in quite some time, the conversation about keeping the risk level down is just heating up.

Ballot issue 2D was passed in November 2021, giving the City of Colorado Springs $20 million in funding to create a city and regional wildfire mitigation and prevention advisory committee. That committee met for the first time Friday afternoon.

The Wildfire Mitigation Advisory Committee is made up of 12 people from the city, El Paso County, Fort Carson Fire, the U.S. Forest Service, and even a representative from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

But perhaps most interestingly, it also includes three citizens.

"Your role will be to provide input, ideas, and opinions," Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers told the group as the meeting began.

For Meggan Herrington, a resident on the northwest side of Colorado Springs, she's excited to get a seat at the table. While she doesn't have a background in fire and wasn't affected by the Waldo Canyon or Black Forest Fires, Herrington said she wants to help.

"I think that's why we're all there, and we all have these diverse perspectives," Herrington said. "I'm hoping to see some of that funding used for mitigation of private properties."

Ultimately, the Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) gets the final say on how that money is going to be spent. 

Still, CSFD Chief Randy Royal is excited about the collaboration and getting nearby fire agencies together.

"This just helps us work together and make the use of our resources even that much greater," Royal told KRDO.

Suthers was behind the ballot initiative that paved the way for the advisory board. He says the fire department needed more money for fire mitigation efforts, things like chipping.

He also said he wants more education for homeowners as well. Suthers is calling the citizens on the board 'ambassadors' for fire mitigation and prevention.

"It was only appropriate to have citizen input about how that money might be spent," Suthers explained.

The group will meet quarterly to discuss projects and efforts.

"If something were to happen again, I mean, that could be my neighborhood. So it's really good to be educated," Herrington shared.

After the recent scare with the Blodgett Peak Fire, and the catastrophic damage in Boulder County- while technically wasn't a wildland fire- Suthers says now is the perfect time for people to learn how to mitigate fire potential.

"I think there's a heightened sense of urgency across the country about wildland fire mitigation," Suthers said.