Fourmile Canyon Fire Recovery

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

The Fourmile Canyon Fire was the most destructive fire in Colorado’s history, destroying 169 homes. Boulder County staff from nearly every department participated in the recovery efforts. The short-term recovery goals were to help people obtain resources for immediate needs, assist people in rebuilding their homes, implement erosion mitigation measures and prepare for possible flooding during the rainy season. During the first year of recovery, Boulder County staff held many community meetings, coordinated federal and state grants of $3.3 million for recovery efforts, and obtained written permission from more than 200 property owners to aerial mulch 2,000 acres and seed 470 acres with 844 volunteers On top of this, the county assisted property owners with household debris cleanup suspected of containing asbestos, including providing lined dumpsters and offering free site cleanup certification. The county contracted with an insurance consumer advocate group to educate fire survivors how to effectively navigate the insurance settlement process, provided more than 26,000 sandbags and cleared culverts and ditches in preparation for potential floods. Through this multilateral effort to address the damages caused by natural phenomenon, the county government was able to equip residents with the tools necessary to combat forest fire.