Fire danger is high, even in Brighton

A very real threat to our community is the dry weather. As summer nears everyone needs to be aware that you don’t have to live in the mountains to be at risk for a wild fire. All homeowners should prepare for the possibility of wild fire, especially those in the remote areas of the community near open fields.

You should think of your home and the area you live in as zones, breaking down the areas surrounding your home into three sections. Think of zone one as your home ignition zone, or the perimeter directly around your home. Some ways to protect this zone would be to clear debris from gutters and off the roof that have collected over the winter. Clear away vegetation from under decks and anything touching the foundation. Be sure all eaves and attic vents are screened with small ½ in screens. Move stacks of firewood away from your home. Finally, keep vegetation in this zone trimmed low (a max of 3” high), well irrigated and free of any dead vegetation.

The second zone you should consider would start at the perimeter of your home and extend out 30-100 feet from your home. In this area you should remove any dead or dying grass, shrubs or trees. Reduce the density of vegetation by thinning and keeping them free of dead material. Replace any hazardous vegetation (dry, large) with less flammable, irrigated landscaping, including lawn or low-growing ground cover and flowering plants.

The third zone is the wildfire reduction zone and begins at the 100 foot perimeter of your home and extends well beyond that into any dense forest or grassy areas. In this area, it is important to remove any dense undergrowth and thin out densely-crowded small trees. It is recommended that an area of 10 feet is kept between trees and shrubs. Branches of mature trees should be trimmed up to 6 to 10 feet above the ground.

If you have any questions on any of this information, please call us at 303-659-4101. Please report overgrown weeds in your area to one of the following organizations:

Adams County Code Enforcement 720-523-6877
Weld County Code Enforcement 970-356-4000
City of Brighton Code Officials 303-655-2000
City of Commerce City Code Officials 303-289-3611