Rebuilding In Wildfire Areas Takes Planning
DENVER (CBS4)- Fire and insurance safety experts are hoping to make homes being rebuilt in burn areas across Colorado safer.
They will be conducing community workshops with hands-on instruction about selecting the right construction materials for and maintaining homes in wildfire-prone areas.
On Thursday, several organizations supporting "Colorado Rebuilds Fire Adapted Communities" came together at the state Capitol to launch the initiative during Wildfire Preparedness Week, Sept. 10-14.
Those organizations include the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control and Lowe's Home Improvement.
It is designed to educate homeowners about the dangers surrounding homes that can exacerbate fire danger and raise public awareness about the need for homeowners to be prepared for wildfire.
"There is work going on in the city of Colorado Springs to tighten up and re-address the ordinances that we had in place and create new ordinances to better protect the structures and the lives of the people in that community," said Colorado Springs Fire Marshall Brett Lacey.
This summer in Colorado the Waldo Canyon Wildfire destroyed nearly 350 homes and the High Park Wildfire in Larimer County burned 259 homes.
Firewise and IBHS experts will conduct one-hour community workshops with hands-on instruction about selecting the right construction materials for, and maintaining homes in, wildfire-prone areas. Workshops will be held at Lowe's Home Improvement stores in:
- Fort Collins, 4227 Corbett Drive, Saturday, Sept. 15 at 11:00 a.m.
- Littleton, 5258 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Sunday, Sept. 16 at 1:00 p.m.
- Colorado Springs, 4880 N. Nevada Avenue, Saturday, Sept. 22 at 11:00 a.m.
