Fourmile Canyon: Living with wildfire

Abstract

The most devastating wildfire in Colorado's history in terms of property loss began on Labor Day, September 6, 2010. The Fourmile Canyon Fire was located just 5 miles west of downtown Boulder, CO, in a wildland-urban interface (WUI) zone with homes located on steep slopes and in dense ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir forest. The fire, fueled by high winds, burned 6,181 acres (2,501 ha), mostly on private land, and destroyed 169 homes. The Fourmile Canyon Fire will likely garner much attention as landowners and land managers turn their efforts to trying to understand how such devastation can be avoided or minimized in the future.

Citation

Brenkert-Smith, Hannah; Champ, Patricia A. 2011. Fourmile Canyon: Living with wildfire. Fire Management Today. 71(2): 31-37.