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Gold Hill hosts Wildfire Community Preparedness Day

Omayra Acevedo
Posted 5/17/23

[caption id="attachment_99726" align="alignleft" width="300"] Preparing and gaining awareness: Gold Hill community members unite to learn what they can do to better prepare for an unexpected

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Gold Hill hosts Wildfire Community Preparedness Day

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Preparing and gaining awareness Above, left; Gold Hill community members unite to learn what they can do to better prepare for an unexpected wildfire. Above, right; Staff of the Colorado State Forest Service provide reports on the health of Colorado’s forests. Bottom, right; One of two tours gets underway, detailing and explaining safety actions and procedures to keep mountain homes safe. PHOTOS BY OMAYRA ACEVEDO Preparing and gaining awareness: Gold Hill community members unite to learn what they can do to better prepare for an unexpected wildfire. PHOTO BY OMAYRA ACEVEDO[/caption]

On Saturday, May 6, 2023, the Gold Hill community gathered from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for National Wildfire Community Awareness Day.

The event offered several tables with information from local partners, including the following organizations:

• Boulder Office of Emergency Management

• Colorado State Forest Service

• Cyclists 4 Community

• Gold Hill Town Meeting

• Gold Hill Fire Protection District

• Gold Hill Mountain Stewards

• Gold Hill for Safe Switzerland Trail

• Longmont and Boulder Valley Conservation Districts

• The Neighborhood Angels Foundation

• Sugarloaf Mountain Works

• Wildfire Partners

A home hardening tour at 10 a.m. provided details on how local home mitigation efforts can help save your home from a wildfire, including the best siding materials to use, creating defensible space, and the small things one can do to protect a home from being destroyed.

Some of the most devastating damage caused during wildfires is not caused by the actual flames but by falling embers. Something as simple as a straw broom under your deck can be the fuel an ember needs to ignite and, inevitably, destroy an entire home or community.

At 11 a.m., a forest project tour offered insight into the Boulder Watershed Collective’s mitigation project, which addresses forested watershed health, resiliency, and stewardship.

Both tours were led by some of the best wildfire professionals in Boulder County and discussed the many actions mountain homeowners can make for a more resilient Gold Hill and beyond.

The free burritos, offered by the Gold Hill General Store and Pub, were not the only benefit of this event. Neighbors collaborated with one another about how to leverage impacts for the greater good and make their mountain community a safer and more prepared place.

Look for the upcoming series of wildfire preparedness articles brought to you by The Mountain-Ear.