In the last 20 years, wildland fires in Colorado have increased in frequency and severity. This has resulted in lengthy and costly community and natural resource recoveries. As our communities continue to grow into the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), more residents are subject to post-fire impacts such as flooding, debris flows, and other natural hazards exacerbated by fire. While recovery from a wildland fire begins and ends locally, there are many state, federal, and non-governmental partners available to draw upon for support. It is critical that impacted communities begin planning and implementing measures to limit the impacts from large wildland fires at the onset of the fire to limit impacts on residents, businesses, and the natural environment. Until communities reestablish forest or grasslands vegetation, flooding, soil erosion, and debris flows will continue to be threats.
