More Coloradans than ever live in an area that is at high risk for wildfire. Here are some facts that we hope will inform our residents about their safety.
Wildland Urban Interface
Here in the VWP we live in what is called the wildland urban interface or WUI. We live in a beautiful forest and get to see pronghorn sheep, elk and moose, but that comes with extra personal responsibility. It is concerning that megafires (fires that burn over 100,000 acres) are no longer novel in Colorado. A combination of climate change, drought, less precipitation and fierce winds are the causes of our increased wildfire risk. We take widlfires & their prevention seriously!
Recent 2020 Fires
The total loss from 2 major fires in Grand County (both within 10 miles of VWP) in 2020 alone were approximately over 210,000 acres and where still burning out of control as late that year as November 1. The East Troublesome fire spread over 100,000 acres in a single night, at a rate of over 6,000 acres per hour, which was over 100 acres per minute and more than 75mph. 366 homes and 2 human lives were lost in that fire alone.
TAKE IT SERIOUSLY !!
Live, walk, tow, build, landscape, mitigate, thin, chainsaw and burn with both wildfires and your neighbors in mind. Wind and dry conditions are terrible to start fires in. If you're concerned about what you see, just call the Grand County police and let them respond then call the fire department if necessary. Don't think twice or feel bad... your neighbors in the county thank you!