How to Prevent Wildfires and Protect Your Home

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Wildfire Alerts, Home Protection, and Local Resources

Home Ignition Zone Assessments & the Gold Letter Program

What is a Home Ignition Zone Assessment?

PFA offers Home Ignition Zone Assessments (HIZAs) in partnership with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office Wildfire Partner Program. These free, one-hour visits to individual properties assess the various wildfire risks to structures and provide priorities and recommendations for home hardening and mitigation.

These fire risk assessments are completely confidential and free.

Assessments include:

Identification of gaps in siding, roofs, soffit, and gamble that are vulnerable to embers - the number one threat to homes in high-risk areas.
Evaluation of slopes of property and how they can affect fire behavior.
Questionnaires and resources for discussions with insurance providers.
Information about tax credit applications from the State of Colorado.
A detailed, user-friendly assessment report that can be shared with insurance companies.
A list of wildfire mitigation providers in your area.

To schedule an assessment email education@poudre-fire.org or call 970-416-2891.

Gold Letter program - Protect Your Home and Maybe Save Money

Wildfire Risk Verification Letter – The Gold Letter Program

If you’re a homeowner in Poudre Fire Authority’s (PFA) jurisdiction and within Larimer County facing the possible loss of your home insurance due to wildfire risk, PFA’s wildfire mitigation program may be able to help with our Gold Letter Program which gives you a wildfire risk verification letter.

What is a Gold Letter?

A Gold Letter is an official document issued by PFA after a follow-up wildfire mitigation inspection confirming recommended work has been done on the property to help reduce risk during a wildfire. The letter verifies that your property meets Larimer County wildfire safety and mitigation standards.

How it Helps Homeowners

By completing wildfire mitigation work and receiving a Gold Letter, you can:

Show proof of wildfire safety compliance to your insurance company.
Improve your chances of keeping or securing homeowners insurance.
Demonstrate your commitment to wildfire prevention and community safety.

How to Get a Gold Letter

Sign up for an initial review of your property, or a Home Ignition Zone Assessment (HIZA) with a trained PFA member.
Schedule a secondary inspection with PFA to show that the recommendation provided have been completed.
Receive the Gold Letter on official PFA letterhead if your home meets wildfire safety standards.
Share the letter with your insurance provider as proof of wildfire risk reduction.

Important Notes

The Gold Letter does not guarantee insurance coverage, but it can make a positive difference when working with insurance companies concerned about wildfire risk.

PFA will not answer any questions about your specific insurance coverage or company. Direct any questions about your coverage and the effects of a Gold Letter to your provider.

Northern Colorado is no stranger to the risk of wildland, grass, and vegetation fires. PFA and other response agencies offer a wide variety of resources and education to help the community prepare for and respond to this risk.

While these resources have been in place for decades, the record setting fires, and devastation caused by the Marshall Fire have put them front and center for many in the communities we serve. We can all work together to prevent fires and protect our homes.

Wildland Urban Interface Homeowner Safety & Preparedness Class

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Homeowner Safety and Preparedness Classes

Are you looking for something to make your whole neighborhood more protected against wildfires?

This one-hour course focuses on community action to create defensible space and is offered to homeowner’s associations or other groups with a minimum of 10 attendees.

The presentation includes images from recent wildfires in Northern Colorado, Zone 1 – 3 mitigation work recommendations and examples, and connections to further resources including the Colorado State Forest Service Home Ignition Zone Guide, the CSU Extension Low-Flammability Landscape Plants Guide, NoCo Alert sign up information, and discussion of the new Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code.

This course has been taught to neighborhood groups from Horsetooth Lake Estates, Quail Ridge, The Ponds, Mill & Soldier Canyon and social groups including the Lory Does and Fort Collins Rotary.

Wildfire Preparedness To-Do List

PFA and many other fire agencies in Colorado have joined the Live Wildfire Ready campaign from the State of Colorado. The campaign creates shared messaging and resources to help you better understand your wildfire risk and what you can do to prepare your home and property for wildfire.

This to-do is huge step toward protecting your home against wildfires and there are many resources on the Live Wildfire Ready website here.

A little work can go a long way with a man in background cleaning gutters

Rake and remove pine needles and dry leaves 5 feet from the home, as well as under decks, porches, sheds and play structures.
Remove leaves and needles from roofs and gutters.
Sweep porches and decks clear of any burnable plant material.
Move firewood piles at least 30 feet from the house, preferably uphill.
Transfer items under decks or porches to a storage area.
Cover any exposed eave or attic vents with 1/8-inch metal mesh screening.
Ensure home address signs are clearly visible from the street.
Contact your local Office of Emergency Management (NoCoAlerts in Larimer County) to register for emergency notifications and encourage your friends, family and neighbors to do the same.
Confirm at least one alternate path out of your neighborhood other than the one most commonly used and be prepared for potential evacuation requiring the alternative route.

Wildfire 'season' is here. Northern Colorado is in a drought meaning fire fuels are dry and ripe for ignition from even the smallest spark. With the current elevated risk anticipated to continue through the summer, we ask you to take action now to help protect your home and the community.

Here are three ways to get started.

✅ Get a FREE Home Risk Assessment (for people that live in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)

Poudre Fire Authority offers Home Ignition Zone Assessments (HIZAs) and customized classes about wildfire preparedness.

PFA also offers classes for groups. Classes require a minimum enrollment of 10 people. For questions, please email education@poudre-fire.org or call (970) 416-2891.

✅ Know Your Risk

These services are intended for homeowners in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), highlighted in yellow, orange, and red on the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code Map.

Please review the map to confirm if your home is located in the highlighted WUI area.

If you are NOT in the WUI or higher risk area, you should still protect your home and follow the best practices outlined on this page as well as follow current fire restrictions. Learn more about the Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in place now here.

✅ Start Today

Not sure where to start? No matter where you live, here are three approachable steps to make your home safer today.

1. Don't make it easy for a fire! Clear wood piles, debris, leaves, etc. from against your home. Keep at least five feet of clear space around all structures.

2. Clean your gutters. Most wildfires spread from embers, not active flames, and they can travel for miles through the air. Cleaning your gutters will remove a combustible place for them to land.

3. Sign up to receive emergency alerts and updates in Larimer County at NOCO Alert These alerts can be customized based on how you prefer to receive the information and where you live. Sign up now.

Two firefighters in yellow wildland shirts talking in smoke

LIVE WILDFIRE READY - How to Protect Your Home and Property against Wildland and Grass Fires

Defensible Space graphic showing three zones

Your first defense against wildfire is to create and maintain a defensible space around your home. This does not mean your yard and landscaping need to be empty.

A defensible space is an area where the vegetation helps to slow the rate and intensity of an advancing wildfire. That gives firefighters and other responders more time extinguish the flames and protect your home, the forest, and animals nearby. It will also give you more time and exit options if you ever receive an evacuation order.

Firefighters and other first responders must have a safe place to operate when attempting to protect a home. Firefighters will take into account factors such as egress and ingress, the rate at which the fire is approaching the property, if there is an open area where they can work, water sources, and preparedness steps already in place. For example, a home that has taken preparedness steps will likely enable responders a better opportunity to protect it.

LIVE WILDFIRE READY: PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM WILDFIRES

This is a collection of resources and information provided by the State of Colorado and shared by fire service partners across the state.

Do You Live in a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)?

Fort Collins, Laporte, Bellvue, and other communities within PFA's jurisdiction enjoy beautiful views and proximity to nature, but this area where development and nature meet can also pose risks.

The recommendations below are from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control. Completing these steps can take as little as an afternoon and make you, your family, and your home safer.

It will also help us, firefighters, respond to the area safely and effectively.

How Poudre Fire Authority Prepares

Smiling Group

PFA Battalion Chiefs review moisture levels, fuels, winds, and other weather factors daily. This helps us prepare for the type of response needed when we are dispatched to a report of a wildfire. This also informs our decisions and communications to the community about precautions, recommendations, and fire bans.

Firefighters help thin fire fuels, fire marshals review building plans, crews review water access, and more. We work with the City of Fort Collins, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, the Colorado State Forest Service, surrounding fire departments, and other agencies to mitigate risk and prepare for response.

All PFA firefighters have specialized wildland fire response training. Currently PFA has 40 personnel on the wildland fire deployment list which means those responders can be deployed to fires across Colorado and the nation. We in turn could request help in our jurisdiction if needed. This was something that was put into action during many larger responses including the High Park, Cameron, and East Troublesome Fires.

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It’s true that the wildfire season is longer what it used to be. While we still love and treasure the advantages of life, trips, and recreation in Northern Colorado, we must all work together to help protect the area from wildfires.

Do your part, sign up for emergency alerts and add the list of tasks above to your "to-do” list.

In the fire service, we hope for the best but prepare for the worst. We'll always be there if you need us but if we all prepare, we can prevent many wildfires from happening.

Understanding Public Safety Power Shutoffs

Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) are becoming a common practice and imperative piece of fire mitigation. Local power providers may choose to do targeted and planned power outages during extreme or critical wildfire risk conditions, or if there is work happening near an active wildfire.

There are three power providers in PFA's jurisdiction, The City of Fort Collins Utilities, Poudre Valley REA, and Xcel Energy.

Go to this page by Xcel Energy to learn more about what the company reviews when considering a PSPS, communications, alerts, and timelines.

Xcel Energy offers recommendations for people that rely on electrically powered medical devices here.

Why Ember Storms Are A Major Wildfire Threat Demonstration Video

Embers and blowing, burning debris ignite homes during a wildfire much more than flames traveling along the ground. This video, by Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), provides a powerful visual of how exactly this happens. It shows the typical weaknesses of a home. It portrays why five ft. of defensible (clear) space around a home, clear gutters, and screens on vents are the most powerful steps you can take to protect your home in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).