How firefighters are preparing for the coming wildfire season

Along the Front Range, where neighborhoods sit close to open space and forested areas, wildfire preparation is already underway well before the hottest and driest months arrive.

To find out what this wildfire season will look like, KGNU’s Don Davis spoke via zoom with Boulder Wildland Fire Division Chief Brian Oliver. He wanted to know what challenges firefighters are facing, and what residents should be doing now to prepare for wildfires.

Oliver discussed what this wildfire season could look like, the challenges firefighters are facing, and what residents should be doing now to prepare for the possibilities of wildfires in our area.

Oliver’s main message to the public? “Be prepared.” He said it’s not a matter of if fires will happen, but when.

“People need to be prepared for that eventuality,” said Oliver. “The more work they do before that fire happens, the more successful we’ll all be in lessening the impacts.”

That means hardening your house against wildfires, and having an evacuation plan in place.

You can find more information about the City of Boulder’s Wildfire Resilience Assistance Program (WRAP) at bouldercolorado.gov/WRAP.

This story aired on the Morning Magazine, KGNU’s weekday morning show featuring in-depth discussions on local news issues. Click here to listen to other episodes of the Morning Magazine.