STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO-August 31, 2023-Wildfire mitigation and fuel reduction has been at the forefront of recent efforts for many agencies and these vital initiatives continue with planned mitigation work near the Fairview neighborhood later this September.
“On behalf of the team, I wanted to provide an opportunity for residents in Fairview to get a better understanding of the focus our efforts will entail near their neighborhood,” said Fire Chief Chuck Cerasoli with Steamboat Spring Fire Rescue (SSFR). “Everything we can do now to reduce our risk will pay off substantially down the road for the community.”
The chief will host a causal chat with residents on Thursday, September 7, at 6pm, that will outline upcoming mitigation efforts on city property adjacent to Fairview. The session will take place at the Blackmer Trailhead at 6pm around the Wildland Fire Brush Truck. Josh Hankes with the Routt County Wildland Mitigation Council and Carolina Manriquez, a forester with the Colorado Forest Service, are anticipated to join the meeting with the chief.
Currently, SSFR plans to have a contractor come in to reduce fuels and increase defensive corridors in an approximately 8.5-acre area of city owned land that lies south of Fairview, north of Gasline Trail and in between Blackmer and Molly’s Trails. The work is anticipated to take approximately two to five days to complete.
Crews will use a masticator on materials such as sage brush, which often acts as a fire highway during a wildfire. The strategy is to create a mosaic pattern that leaves stands, but disconnected clumps of healthy foliage including mature scrub oak and aspen. The project not only reduces potential fuels but opens wildlife corridors and allows for new growth.
“While the area will look very different this fall, there is a significant amount of grass in the area that will spur great ground cover regeneration,” continued Cerasoli. “In spring, native grasses and flowers should return and our defensible space will be very much improved.”
This project is part of a four-year campaign funded through a grant provided by the Colorado State Forest Service and its Forest Restoration & Wildfire Risk Mitigation Grant Program, addressing mitigation work around Fairview and Brooklyn, along with Blackmer and Prayer Flag Roads. The grant allowed the department to purchase a chipper and chipper box truck to aid in these efforts.
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Contact
Chuck Cerasoli, Fire Chief, 970.879.7170 or email
Leighton White, Wildland Fire Specialist, 970.879.7170 or email
Michael Lane, Communications Manager, 970.871.8220 or email