Carbondale leaders hear new home-level wildfire model, fire district commits one-third of study cost

Carbondale trustees heard a detailed briefing on local wildfire risk and on a new modeling approach that maps vulnerability at the building level, and the Carbondale-area fire district said it will contribute toward an initial study.

The presentation on wildfire risk and mitigation began with Rob Goodwin, introduced as chief of the Carbondale and Bridal Fire Protection District, and Angie Daven, introduced as executive director of the Roaring Fork Valley wildfire collaborative. Goodwin told the board the district covers about 300 square miles and that it combines career and volunteer staff; he said the district has responded to about 40 wildfires this year and is on its fifth national wildfire deployment.

Why it matters: presenters and trustees said the valley’s topography, mature pinyon‑juniper and oak fuels and populated slopes put Carbondale at unusually high risk for wildfire and for post‑fire hazards such as mudflows. The collaborative argued that a granular, home‑level model would let planners and fire agencies target fuels reduction, evacuation planning and defensible‑space efforts more effectively than standard…