Is Northern Colorado Ready For Fire Season?

You don't have to jog your memory too far back to remember how wildfires seem to start out of nowhere and greatly impact the area over the late spring and early summer months in Colorado.

Each and every year, there's nothing worse than seeing that little plume of smoke west of us in the mountains, randomly one day on your way to work, only to see how it's multiplied many times over by the time you're headed home that day.

And each and every year, our local firefighters spring into action, sometimes spending weeks at a time in the mountains protecting structures and trying to contain the blazes before they wreak too much havoc.

And so, in preparation for the season ahead, the Poudre Fire Authority has released their updated 2025 Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which outlines recommendations for homeowners and responders to help protect their property from - and appropriately respond when these disasters inevitably occur.

They've updated wildfire risk maps based on historical data and currently conditions like weather trends, how overgrown areas may be and based on how quickly agencies may be able to respond to certain areas in a time of need.

They've also included checklists full of recommendations about how to reduce the amount of fuel available to an oncoming fire, helping to protect structures and slow the spread of the fire, in addition to ways to "harden" your home or make it less flammable for an approaching fire.

You can check out the entire Community Wildfire Protection Plan from the Poudre Fire Authority on their website, in partnership with Larimer County, the City of Fort Collins, Larimer County Sheriff's Office and the Colorado State Forest Service.