Learning Hub

Wildfire Risk

Changing Climate and Increasing Risk

Colorado's changing climate, marked by rising temperatures, prolonged drought, and reduced snowpack, has significantly heightened wildfire risk. According to the Colorado Climate Center, average temperatures have risen approximately 2°F over the last 30 years, increasing vegetation dryness and wildfire severity.

Additionally, climate change has exacerbated the spread of the mountain pine beetle, which thrives in warmer conditions and has killed millions of acres of trees in Colorado. Dead and dying trees create vast amounts of dry fuel, significantly increasing the intensity and spread of wildfires.

Growing Population in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI)

Colorado, particularly along the Front Range, has seen rapid growth in populations settling in wildfire-prone areas, known as the wildland-urban interface (WUI). Between 1990 and 2020, Colorado's WUI population grew by approximately 50%, increasing the exposure of communities to wildfire risk (Source: U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station).

Frequency and Scale of Wildfires

Colorado experiences approximately 6,000 wildfires annually, with most ignited by lightning strikes or human activity. While firefighters successfully contain 99% of these fires to fewer than 100 acres, the remaining 1% can become catastrophic, causing significant property loss and community disruption (Source: Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control).

Mitigation and Fire Behavior

The good news is that wildfires confined primarily to ground-level vegetation are typically manageable. Effective fire mitigation strategies, such as creating defensible spaces, can prevent fires from reaching tree crowns, significantly increasing the likelihood of successfully controlling and extinguishing fires before widespread damage occurs.

Colorado State Forest Service Wildfire Risk Viewer

Fire Mitigation

What is Fire Mitigation?

Fire mitigation is a proactive strategy to reduce the spread and intensity of wildfires, especially in fire-prone areas like Colorado. It involves managing vegetation and combustible materials near structures and communities to limit available fuel. Techniques include removing dead plants, thinning trees and shrubs, and creating firebreaks. These measures not only protect homes and lives but also foster healthier forest ecosystems by preventing overly dense vegetation.

What is a Defensible Space and Why Does it Matter?

Defensible space is the buffer zone around a home where vegetation and flammable materials are managed to reduce wildfire risk. It slows fire spread, lowers the chance of embers igniting structures, and provides firefighters with a safer area to defend homes.

A well-maintained defensible space includes:

• Clearing dead vegetation and spacing trees to reduce fuel.
• Removing flammable materials near decks, fences, and roofs.
• Using fire-resistant landscaping to create natural fire breaks.

Fire departments are more likely to defend homes with proper defensible space, as they pose less risk to firefighters and have a higher chance of survival. Increasingly, insurance companies and state laws require or incentivize homeowners in wildfire-prone areas to take mitigation measures, making defensible space not just a best practice—but a necessity.

Fire Mitigation Works (Really!)

Implementing wildfire mitigation strategies significantly reduces the risk and severity of wildfires affecting communities. A study of 91,800 home inspections in California by Guidewire, a property risk research firm for insurance companies, found that homes with well-maintained defensible space were 65% less likely to experience significant wildfire damage. Additionally, homes with ember-resistant vents had a 40% lower likelihood of ignition compared to those without this feature." Source

How to Get Started: Assess your Home's Risk

Taking the first steps toward wildfire mitigation can feel overwhelming, but resources are available to help you evaluate risk and take action.

• Many fire departments and local organizations offer free on-site inspections to assess wildfire vulnerability. For example, Evergreen Fire Rescue offers free home assessments.
• Colorado Wildfire Preparedness website
• Colorado State University: Protecting Your Home from Wildfire

How to Select a Mitigation Provider

Choosing the right fire mitigation provider is essential for ensuring effective wildfire risk reduction. Look for professionals who are local, experienced, and insured, as they understand regional fire risks and best practices. A reliable provider should:

• Be properly insured to protect both you and their workers.
• Have experience in fire mitigation with a track record of successful projects.
• Offer a clear scope of work with recommendations tailored to your property's risk profile.
• Provide references or reviews from past clients.

How SylvanCycle helps with your fire mitigation needs

SylvanCycle helps Colorado residents and businesses take action by connecting them with insured forestry professionals for risk-based tree thinning, brush removal, and firewood preparation. Its marketplace simplifies access to affordable fire mitigation services, empowering property owners to create defensible spaces and build safer, more resilient communities.

By enabling property owners to allow their providers to offer cleared wood for pickup, SylvanCycle helps reduce mitigation costs. Providers save on transportation and disposal expenses, which can be passed on to property owners as savings, while creating an opportunity for the wood to be repurposed by others in the community, fostering sustainability and economic efficiency.

Find a mitigation provider near you

Wood Burning

Modern wood stoves and fireplace inserts provide a cost-effective and eco-conscious heating solution, particularly in regions with abundant forest resources. With rising costs of natural gas and electricity, many households are turning to wood as an affordable, renewable alternative. Modern stoves use advanced combustion technology to maximize heat output, requiring less wood and producing fewer emissions than traditional fireplaces, resulting in lower costs and improved air quality.

EPA-certified stoves are especially significant for their environmental benefits. They meet strict standards for clean burning, emitting up to 85% less smoke and particulates than older models. This efficiency not only enhances indoor air quality but also contributes to healthier outdoor environments. By burning wood more completely, EPA-certified stoves reduce waste and provide a more sustainable heating option.

From an environmental perspective, wood is considered carbon-neutral when harvested sustainably, as the carbon released during combustion is balanced by the carbon absorbed by trees during growth. To maximize sustainability, sourcing local wood is key to minimizing the carbon footprint associated with transportation.

SylvanCycle supports the economic and environmental benefits of wood heating by connecting consumers with local, responsibly sourced firewood from fire mitigation efforts. This reduces wildfire risks, diverts potential waste, and creates a sustainable local supply chain for firewood. By offering access to affordable, locally sourced wood, SylvanCycle empowers Colorado residents to lower heating costs while embracing environmentally friendly practices.

Quick Facts

• There are 200+ independent firewood producers in Colorado. 
• Colorado State Forest Service estimates about 200,000 households in Colorado use wood as their primary or secondary heating source.
• Coloradans used an equivalent of almost half a million chords of firewood in 2022.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: We don’t have a lot of hardwood trees in Colorado. Doesn’t burning pine and other softwoods cause chimney fires?
A: Burning pine or softwoods doesn’t inherently cause chimney fires, but these woods can produce more creosote—a flammable residue—if burned while unseasoned or at low temperatures. Properly seasoned wood and regular chimney cleaning can mitigate this risk.

Q: Doesn't burning wood just suck heat out of your house?
A: Open fireplaces can cause heat loss by drawing warm air from your home, but wood-burning stoves are designed to efficiently heat spaces. Installing an efficient stove and ensuring proper insulation can maximize heat retention.

Q: Isn't the government phasing out wood-burning fireplaces and stoves due to environmental concerns?
A: Some areas have restrictions on older, inefficient wood stoves to reduce air pollution, but modern EPA-certified stoves are designed to meet strict emissions standards and remain legal in most regions. Regulations vary by location.

Q: How long does it take to break even financially after buying a wood-burning stove?
A: Break-even time depends on fuel costs, stove efficiency, and usage. Many households see financial benefits within 2-5 years, especially in areas with high electricity or gas prices and access to affordable firewood.

Q: Isn't the smoke from wood-burning stoves and fireplaces bad for the environment?
A: Smoke from inefficient wood burning contributes to air pollution, but EPA-certified stoves emit far fewer particulates and pollutants. Using well-seasoned wood and burning it efficiently further reduces environmental impact, and wood is a carbon-neutral alternative to burning fossil fuels like oil, natural gas, and propane for heat.

Further Reading

• Energy Efficiency and Your Wood-Burning Appliance
• Wood Heating for your home: does it pay off?
• EPA Wood Stove Standards
• U.S. Department of Energy on Heating with Wood
• EPA Wood Burning Best Practices

Find firewood wood near you