AFPD's wildfire resilience team is leading cross-boundary, landscape scale projects. We are working with local partners each year to improve the health and resilience of local ecosystems.

Landscape Spotlight: Cross-Boundary Fuel Break

Aspen Fire, the BLM, Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, and private partners are working together to demonstrate the wonderful possibilities that happen when we work together. Stay tuned for more information on the 33-acre fuels reduction and habitat restoration project happening at a critical wildfire pinch point on Red Mountain.

Landscape Spotlight: Prescribed Fires 2022 & 2023

With the help of many local partners, AFPD helped with the 750-acre Collins Creek Prescribed Burn on April 30, 2023, as well as the 900-acre Hunter Creek Prescribed Burn on May 13, 2022. This project helped reduce wildfire risk and improve habitat for many different species of wildlife. Learn more about the benefits of prescribed fire here.

Landscape Spotlight: Bark Beetle Treatments

Fires in beetle-killed areas are typically more severe, difficult to revegetate, and can experience high erosion. That's why, starting in 2022, AFPD and other local partners have been working together to improve the health of our local forests. Learn more here.

Homeowner Spotlight: Chipper Day Program

AFPD's Chipper Day program helps homeowners reduce hazardous fuels and create defensible space around homes. Participants follow guidelines for registration, brush size, and pile location. Chipped brush piles are composted by the Pitkin County Landfill.

• 2022:
  • Participating HOA's: 3
  • Total fuels removed: 238 cubic yards of wood chips
• 2023: Funding Partnership with Pitkin County and City of Aspen,
  • Participating HOA's: 9
  • Total fuels removed: 35.84 tons
• 2024: Coming soon!

If you live in a high-risk neighborhood and would like to participate in 2024, click here or contact Ali.Hammond@AspenFire.com.

Did you know?  Aspen Fire's Prevention team provides resources to help homeowners live wildfire ready.

• No-Cost Wildfire Risk Assessments (May-Oct)
• Wildfire Risk Mapping
  • Learn about your area's risk versus your structure's risk. 
• Wildfire Mitigation: 
  • How to: Protecting your home and property from wildfire
  • Aspen Fire Chipper Day brush removal program
• Mitigation Incentives
  • Roaring Fork Valley Wildfire Collaborative:
    • Apply for a mitigation assistance grant
  • Colorado Income Tax incentives
    • General information on wildfire tax benefits in Colorado
    • Mitigation Income Tax subtraction in Colorado
• Emergency preparedness
• Evacuation Readiness
• Sign up for emergency notifications
  • ReachWell
  • PitkinAlert
• Educational events
  • Join us each May for a celebration of Wildfire Preparedness Month
• Lead your community:
  • Become a Roaring Fork Valley Neighborhood Ambassador
    • Email Ali.Hammond@aspenfire.com
  • Schedule a wildfire discussion at your next HOA meeting
  • Become a Firewise Community
• Project Coordination
  • Have a fuels reduction project but don't know where to start? Email ali.hammond@aspenfire.com!
• You can contribute to the fund that makes this work possible.*

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: Wildfire Preparedness Month

Whether we're hosting Wildfire Trivia Night, hosting Evacuation Prep Open House, or singing songs about mitigation at Aspen Elementary School, we keep wildfire preparedness fun! 

OUTREACH SPOTLIGHT: Community Discussions

From the Aspen Elks Club and Pitkin County Senior Center to Hybrid/bilingual Town Hall meetings and the annual meeting of your HOA, we're hosting community discussions to teach best practices and dispell wildfire myths

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: Becoming FireWise

We can provide guidance to get you through the FireWise application process.

Aspen Fire Protection District's Firewise Communities: 

• Before 2024: 0
• 2024: Starwood HOA
• 2025: Mountain Valley HOA

Bonus: Did you know some insurance carriers like USAA have special offers for FireWise Community Residents? 

The Aspen Wildfire Foundation is the charitable arm that funds AFPD's Community Wildfire Resilience program. Your donations allow AFPD's wildfire team to facilitate, plan, and execute fuels reduction projects. Donations are tax deductible and help us leverage grants by demonstrating local matching support!

By working together, we can reduce wildfire risk, protect our watershed, and improve local habitat for wildlife. 

Make your gift today.