Colorado Springs FD urges vigilance in protecting homes from wildfires
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- As wildfires continue to rage across the state, fire officials with the Colorado Springs Fire Departments are urging residents to create a defensible space around their home.
For homes surrounded by vegetation, that means remaining vigilant in maintaining the trees and plants on your property and clearing any excess brush.
During wildfires, fire officials say embers accumulate against a home in a similar way to how snow does; causing it to ignite.
They say that's exactly how hundreds of homes were burned down in the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire.
In response to that damage, the Colorado Springs Fire Department drafted an ordinance requiring all new builds in El Paso County and Woodland Park to be fire-resistant. This means new builds must have a hardened structure, which can entail the outside built from brick, stucco, or cementitious hardwood.
When it comes to the inside of the home, the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department does require residents to have a smoke alarm on every level of a home that has a bedroom, at the very least.
Similar to smoke alarms inside, outdoor precautions give fire crews something extremely crucial in the event of a fire: time.
“We want to change the way the fire is going to behave. We want it to skunk around more instead of burning actively," says Brett Lacey, Fire Marshall for the Colorado Springs Fire Department. "That way we can protect the home, allow it to burn around the house, and as it moves on, we can continue to protect the houses as we move"
The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department also requires carbon monoxide detectors on each level of a that has a bedroom.
When it comes to the area outside of the home, fire officials say you don’t need to clear out all vegetation, but rather thin it out.
As of October 14th, 2020, the Pikes Peak region is still under a burn ban. Fire officials ask you refrain from any open fires or using smokers until they can get through the wildfire season.
