Owners of Colorado Springs CO homes are in a much smarter position today than before the big fires of 2012 and 2013. Putting heads together, these groups of stakeholders desire to create buffer zones to protect Colorado Springs CO homes located near forest land. In an effort to hold forest fires at bay, groups of foresters, researchers, ecologists, and government officials along with residents and homeowners associations have been carrying out a series of mitigation efforts.
Steps to Mitigate Fires near Colorado Springs CO Homes
Forest fires are a regular occurrence. Bordering Colorado Springs real estate, we have the Pike National Forest. The Rocky Mountain Research Station and the US Forest Service have discovered evidence in tree rings leading to fire history dating back more than 700 years. These fires clear the undergrowth.
However, beginning in the twentieth century, several factors all but halted the occurrence of wildfires. These included livestock grazing, lumber industry, and primarily the philosophy of fighting forest fires adapted by the Forest Service. The effort to stop forest fires that regularly burn throughout the West was motivated by not just the desire to save nearby homes but to keep smoky air away from population centers.
Studying historic forests in Colorado, the experts have concluded that it is possible to control the size of wildfires. One of the most important triggers of large fires happens to be the low-lying shrubs and fallen trees. During the Waldo Canyon fire in 2012 and the Black Forest fire of 2013, the high winds moved the flames quickly through the forest floors to the crowns of the trees burning over 32,000 acres and destroying 835 homes.
According to a recent piece in the Colorado Springs Gazette, tall stands of trees with high limbs, large healthy canopies, and cleared lower areas are the solution. In addition, there would be clusters of Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir to provide more shade and wildlife habitat.
It is far less costly to mitigate forest fires than to have to restore badly damaged landscape. It costs about $600 per acre to spend the forest while it can cost tens of thousands of dollars an acre to fight wildfires.
Mitigation efforts to protect Colorado Springs CO homes and the surrounding area include the following:
- Since 2011, the Forest Service has spent millions of dollars to reduce fuel and restore forest land in the Pikes Peak region, South Park County (to the west) and through the South Platte River watershed
- Prescribed, controlled burns to help forest restoration throughout the area
- A number of subdivisions have taken proactive steps to protect their communities by thinning the undergrowth in green spaces and on lots, adding buffer zones and lakes, etc.
Buying and Selling Colorado Springs CO Homes
Please contact Ann Heiring, top RE/MAX Colorado Springs Realtor today, at 719-440-1010 or Toll Free at 800-246-8978 to learn about the beautiful Colorado lifestyle, friendly subdivisions, and homes for sale in Colorado Springs. Ann offers special rebates for active and retired military in appreciation for those who serve our nation.