Boulder offers home assessments and reimbursements for fire-resistant home upgrades

BOULDER, Colo. — A new program in Boulder aims to help cover some of the costs of improving the fire resilience of homes most at risk in a wildfire.

The Wildfire Resilience Assistance Program recently launched and provides up to $1,000 to eligible property owners after they have a detailed home assessment completed by one of Boulder Fire Rescue’s Community Risk Reduction (CRR) specialists. The report, which determines how property owners can better protect their home, is free.

Homeowners will then receive an inspection report detailing which improvements are eligible for grant reimbursement.

Denver7 followed CRR specialist Steve Orr as he conducted a detailed home assessment in a neighborhood near the base of the Flatirons.

He mentioned positive features such as asphalt shingle roofs, which offer the highest level of fire resistance, coupled with metal gutters that are non-combustible. Even then, homeowners should make sure to remove flammable pine needles and leaves just in case embers spread to the gutters.

Landscaping plays a big role in keeping a home fireproof.

“There’s mulch here at the base of these bushes,” Orr noted as he walked around the house. “Embers can land and smolder in the mulch and then spread the fire upwards into the bushes directly adjacent to the combustible wood siding. And windows are a little vulnerable.”

Changes to a home or landscaping can be costly.

“Anyone who resides in our urban wildland interface can qualify for grants of up to $1,000 for specific items on their inspection report,” said Danielle McNutt, CRR senior program manager.

Boulder created the following map to help you determine if you live at a suitable address.

“I’m really looking forward to reaching residents who have never contacted us for a detailed home assessment and helping them along the way with a little grant assistance,” McNutt said.

Since the program launched in September, residents of 222 homes have registered for assessments and six have completed grant applications.

“Not only are they protecting their family and home, but they are also protecting our firefighters, which is really important,” McNutt said.

The deadline for this round of funding is November 30th. It is planned to start a second round of funding next year. The funding was made possible through the city’s climate tax, approved by Boulder voters in 2022, which provides funding to increase the city’s wildfire resilience.

More information about applying for the Wildfire Resilience Assistance Program and a list of frequently asked questions can be found here. The program is funded by Boulder’s climate tax.

Want to learn more about wildfire danger in Colorado? Colorado State University has released an interactive map, Colorado Wildfire Risk Viewer, that helps homeowners and business owners identify wildfire risk, dive into local fire history, and find wildfire prevention and mitigation resources. To view the map, click here.

Colorado State University