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Larimer County outlines $10M wildfire mitigation grant, homeowner programs and county preparedness drills
Summary
County staff described a roughly $10 million Community Wildfire Defense Grant for multiple mountain communities, plans to fund home-ignition-zone work, ongoing roadway treatments and a schedule of evacuation drills and preparedness exercises for 2025–26.
County mitigation and emergency-management staff told commissioners on Feb. 25 that Larimer County is moving from planning to implementation on several mitigation and preparedness fronts, including a Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) of roughly $10 million and a suite of exercises and community programs.
Brad, a county mitigation staffer, said the CWDG from the U.S. Forest Service will fund treatments in Red Feather Lakes, Crystal Lakes, Glacier View, Cherokee Meadows and Poudre Canyon communities. He said the county is preparing a request for proposals to help homeowners with work in the home-ignition zone and that roadway treatments are about one-third complete; contractors are hauling biomass removed during treatments to reduce on-site slash.
Staff said the county is also pursuing a second grant called ‘‘Gateway to the Rockies,’’ covering parts of Estes Park, Glen Haven and the Loveland Fire Protection District; an executed agreement for that grant is pending. The sheriff’s office and contracted county crews have been primary implementers for roadway treatments so far.
Deputy emergency manager Cole Parrot described a new continuity-of-operations (COOP) maintenance policy requiring departments to keep updated COOP pages (annual updates) in county systems (PowerDMS) so decision-makers can prioritize services during disruptions. Cole also outlined a multi-agency exercise to test coordination with lifeline utilities (water, wastewater, electric, gas) and an emphasis on preparing for Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).
Preparedness and resiliency coordinator Camille Mard said the county will run an annual community evacuation drill on May 30 in the Pinewood Lake Reservoir area and that the CWDG grants include drill components that will produce at least two and up to three evacuation drills annually among grant communities. Camille said the county is expanding disaster-education ‘‘Dare to Prepare’’ programming (quarterly) and piloting PurpleAir indoor/outdoor monitoring at some public facilities with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to better understand air quality resilience in public buildings.
Staff also described reunification improvements and a new software platform to coordinate displaced people data with hospital systems and partner nonprofits, and said the county is negotiating a Red Cross data‑sharing agreement to close reunification gaps.
