{"id":680065,"date":"2026-03-25T05:58:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T05:58:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/680065\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T05:58:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T05:58:14","slug":"routt-county-property-owners-urged-to-prep-now-for-early-intense-fire-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/680065\/","title":{"rendered":"Routt County property owners urged to prep now for \u2018early, intense\u2019 fire season"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a joint letter issued Tuesday from the fire chiefs of all five fire districts serving Routt County<\/a> and the Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council<\/a>, community members are urged to start preparations now for a possible \u201cearly and intense fire season.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re facing conditions like we\u2019ve never seen before, and the potential for a complex wildfire season is very real,\u201d said Josh Hankes, executive director of the nonprofit Wildfire Mitigation Council.<\/p>\n

Already this spring, the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for Routt County on March 21 due to expected critical fire conditions including low humidity and wind gusts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really should be bracing for an unusually early and potentially severe fire season,\u201d noted Tracy LeClair, outreach specialist for the Wildland Fire Management section of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control. \u201cSome of the conditions are worse than we saw in the big years, like 2012 and 2020, where we saw some of the largest fires and some of the most destructive fires in Colorado history.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mitigation council is hosting education efforts early this year with a Community Outreach Meeting set for 6 p.m. April 9 at Bud Werner Memorial Library. The educational meeting will include a screening of a PBS episode of \u201cWeathered<\/a>\u201d about the aftermath of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires to highlight the \u201cwhys\u201d behind evacuation preparedness and mitigation.<\/p>\n

The mitigation council will outline current program offerings such as Home Ignition Zone evaluations, free chipping, rebates for Routt County residents who complete eligible mitigation projects and volunteer needs for neighborhood wildfire ambassadors. The council includes county and city representatives, area state and federal officials, nongovernmental organizations, homeowners\u2019 associations, businesses and private landowners.<\/p>\n

The joint letter<\/a> issued this week reminded citizens \u201cthis winter has presented us with a stark reality: our snowpack is currently at approximately 63% of its historical median.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith spring upon us and our landscape significantly drier than normal, the opportunity to prepare your property for the 2026 wildfire season is presenting itself earlier than usual,\u201d the letter noted. \u201cThe historically low snowpack means that the finefuels across the landscape and surrounding your home \u2014 the grasses, brush and leaf litter \u2014 will dry out weeks ahead of schedule, increasing the potential for an early and intense fire season and putting your investment at elevated risk.\u201d<\/p>\n

The letter explained that wildfire mitigation is not about preventing a forest fire but rather about \u201chardening\u201d a home with fire-resilient measures so the residence could survive<\/a> an ember shower or a passing ground fire without professional intervention<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the event of a major incident, our resources will be stretched thin and focused on saving lives,\u201d the chiefs noted.<\/p>\n

A study released in 2025<\/a> by the Wildfire Research Center shows that an average 65% of homes in three representative Routt County neighborhoods are considered at \u201chigh\u201d risk from wildfire, yet only 12% of surveyed residents in those homes believed their fire risk is high.<\/p>\n

The fire chiefs advised residents to work to protect their property by completing six steps.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Register for Routt County Alerts, which takes about one minute online at RouttCountyAlerts.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  2. Create a comprehensive household evacuation plan.<\/li>\n
  3. Ensure the home or property address sign is visible from the road, noncombustible and reflective.<\/li>\n
  4. Order a Home Ignition Zone in-person evaluation from the Routt County Wildlife Mitigation Council, or self-evaluate a property by using the HIZ Checklists<\/a> from the Colorado State Forest Service at CSFS.ColoState.edu\/Wildfire-Mitigation<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  5. Reduce fuels on properties using Home Ignition Zone principles outlined by the Colorado State Forest Service.<\/li>\n
  6. Plan structure hardening projects such as updating screen vents to small mesh, replacing or removing combustible attachments to homes, and ensuring a roof has a Class A fire rating.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The fire chiefs signing the urgent letter to the community include Chuck Cerasoli in Steamboat Springs, Trevor Guire with West Routt, Matt Mathisen in North Routt, Kenyon Shephard (interim chief) in Oak Creek and Ky Cox for Yampa Fire.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThis year, the stakes are higher than ever,\u201d noted the letter. \u201cBy taking a proactive approach on your property and in your community today, you are not just protecting your own home, you are protecting your neighbors, your water supply and the first responders who serve this valley.\u201d<\/p>\n

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