Reducción de riesgo: Colorado

Minimize Risk in Colorado

Risk Reduction for Your Home

From floods and wildfire to drought and hail, the Centennial state is subject to many natural hazards depending on location and time of year. Investing in risk reduction activities now can translate into far less impacts down the road for many of the hazards in Colorado. These measures can improve property values, enhance public spaces, and provide beneficial functions to the flora, fauna, and the environment all while protecting future generations of Coloradans.

Effective mitigation isn’t always grand or expensive and efforts will vary from person to person. Depending on the hazard, property, and other variables sometimes simple actions can have a big payoff. For example, it might not be necessary to elevate your home to reduce future flooding but simply raising electrical appliances or using flood-resistant materials, like tile instead of carpet, can offer protection for a property.

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Wildfires

As wildfires persist in the west, it’s critical that you make your home wildfire defensible. Check with the National Fire Protection Association and its Firewise Communities for more tips, but you can get started today by:

• Cover attic and under-eave vents with metal wire mesh no larger than 1/8 inch to decrease the chance of wind-blown embers of entering the structure.
• Clear gutters of leaves, pine needles, and other debris. This will not only help them perform their intend function of moving water to the downspout but also prevent embers from igniting in your home.
• Remove or reduce flammable vegetation from at least 30 feet around structures and replacing it with noncombustible materials such as gravel, brick, or concrete creates defensible space and provides room for structure protection from firefighters
• Talk to your neighbors! Wildfire risk reduction is best taken at the community level.

For more information, visit the Colorado State Forestry Division or the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control Wildfire Information Resource Center.