The La Plata County Commissioners are using this space to issue an urgent call to action to every resident and business in the county. We face one of the most extreme fire seasons in history and preparation cannot wait until flames are visible. There is a great deal you can do right now to protect your home, your family and your community.
We could overwhelm you with statistics about how bad this multiyear drought is, but all you need to do is look outside or drive around the county to see the impacts. Recent moisture has been welcomed, but it doesn’t replace having an actual winter. So, let’s work together to get more prepared.
Please sign up for emergency alerts from La Plata County. We have transitioned to a new system, LPC Alerts. If you were in the old system known as CodeRED, you are signed up. If you are new to the system, please visit lpcgov.org/LPCAlerts.
Make your home as wildfire safe as you can. If you can do a complete fuels mitigation project, that is the gold standard. However, every action counts, such as cutting back limbs, removing needles and debris, and ensuring anything flammable is not right by your house. The goal here: remove things that can easily burn. Have some extra time? You can install ember-resistant vent screens or replace your wooden deck with flame-retardant materials. Visit lpcgov.org/livingwithfire.php, the county’s one-stop-shop for trusted information.
In May, the County’s Office of Emergency Management will once again host a weeklong, community-wide, simulated preparedness exercise. There will be scenario-based wildfires and mock evacuation with notice. County staff and members of dozens of other agencies will participate in incident management training and opening the Emergency Operation Center, where everyone will practice their roles.
On May 9 there will be a family friendly event: the Fire Ready! Expo. Come on down to the Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Learn from the experts at a panel discussion. LPEA will be on hand to inform about power shutdowns and at 1 p.m. the focus will be on the new Wildfire Resiliency Building Code, passed by the Commissioners recently (applies to new construction and remodels over 500 square feet).
No matter where you live, identify your evacuation routes – we encourage everyone to know multiple ways out – in addition to the one you always use. Have a family conversation about where you would go if evacuated from varying locations. Assemble an evacuation GO-Kit using the five Ps: persons, papers, pets, pills and personal belongings. Think through where your pets and livestock would go, and how you’d get them there.
Help fire fighters. We understand they like thank you notes, which are so thoughtful. But what they really like is when they get to a home that has been made safer. The life you save by taking action could be yours – or theirs.
This fire season is not the first time the commissioners have been addressing this issue. Landscape-scale mitigation work has been done in risky areas that are in our watershed through a program La Plata County, City of Durango and Durango Fire Protection District started as a pilot project, and possible model for the state.
Since the passage of 1A, we are reinstating a project coordinator to help residents access information and resources. We hear so much about issues with home insurance and we encourage you to learn about the state’s new FAIR Plan, an insurance option of last resort. In addition, our Wildfire Advisory Board works on policy and countywide projects.
We are proud of the innovative work happening across the county, but it’s not enough. We need every single resident to help in this common, urgent mission of creating a more fire resilient, safer county as we face long-term climate change. Do not hesitate to reach out for help. Start here for trusted resources: lpcgov.org/livingwithfire.php.
The La Plata County Board of County Commissioners is Matt Salka, chair; Elizabeth Philbrick, vice chair; and Marsha Porter-Norton, commissioner. Reach them at 382-6219.
