Wildfire ignition mitigation assistance program now available for certain Red Feather Lakes area communities
A new program that helps eligible homeowners reduce their wildfire risk is now available in several mountain communities in Larimer County.
The Home Ignition Zone Mitigation Assistance Program [HIZMAP] is now available for residents in Cherokee Meadows, Crystal Lakes, Glacier View, and Poudre Canyon area communities. HIZMAP is a part of the Red Feather Lakes Area Wildfire Defense Project.
Eligible homeowners can receive up to $4,000 worth of wildfire mitigation work on their property, with contractor coordination and implementation managed through the program.
Nearly half of Colorado residents live in what’s known as the wildland-urban interface and face some degree of wildfire risk. The Home Ignition Zone, which is the area around a home and the home itself, is the most critical factor in determining whether a structure can survive a wildfire.
“This program is exactly the kind of partnership-based mitigation work that helps us turn wildfire risk reduction planning into practical, meaningful work on the ground,” said Director of Larimer County Emergency Management Lori Hodges. “The HIZMAP supports individual property owners while also advancing broader community resilience to wildfire. Wildfire mitigation is most effective when residents, local fire districts, county agencies, watershed partners, and others are all working together toward the same goal.”
“Larimer County has seen firsthand how quickly wildfire can threaten homes, neighborhoods, and critical access routes,” said Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen. “Wildfire safety is a shared responsibility, and reducing risk around homes is one of the most important actions property owners can take. This program builds on the work of local fire districts, our Wildfire Partner Program, and the work of many other community partners – it helps our residents take the next step from understanding their risk to completing mitigation work on the ground. Programs like this make our communities safer and better prepared.”
To be eligible for the program, property types must:
• Be located within the eligible areas of Cherokee Meadows, Crystal Lakes, Glacier View, or Poudre Canyon
• Be a privately owned, developed parcel
• Have a completed Home Ignition Zone Assessment on file
• Provide a signed Right of Entry
Eligible property types include primary owner-occupied residences, secondary or seasonal homes, renter-occupied properties, and other privately owned developed parcels. The program supports defensible space and vegetation management work only and does not cover home-hardening improvements such as roofing, vents, screens, gutters, or other structural upgrades.
The Red Feather Lakes Area Wildfire Defense Project is a collaborative effort to reduce wildfire risk across multiple communities in the wildland-urban interface north of Fort Collins. A USDA Community Wildfire Defense Grant funds the project, which is co-managed by the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed and the Larimer County Office of Emergency Management. https://www.larimer.gov/emergency. For more information and how to apply visit: https://www.poudrewatershed.org/hizmap.
