Cuchara West Community Wildfire Mitigation Action Plan
Prepared by
Interim Board of Directors of the proposed Cuchara West Firewise Community*
March 2013
Cuchara West includes the area in the village of Cuchara west of Highway 12. This
includes the areas known as the Albright Addition, Lubbock Hill, and the houses along
the Parkway. Cuchara West encompasses the houses shown on Map #4 of the Cuchara
Valley Directory.
2013
1. Distribute Cuchara West Community Assessment prepared by the LaVeta District,
Colorado State Forest Service as well as the Cuchara West Community Wildfire
Mitigation Action Plan to all homeowners by mail or email. Ask all homeowners to
take the basic steps including:
a. NO burning of garbage or vegetation, ignition of fireworks, or use of old
equipment that sparks. Absolutely no outside campfires. Use extreme caution
when smoking outdoors.
b. Removal of pine needles and debris from roofs, gutters, decks, and vents.
c. Cover all openings, vents, pipes with small mesh metal screen.
d. Seal exterior siding cracks with caulking to resist ember intrusion into the
structure or consider installation of fire resistant siding.
e. Removal of firewood piled beside houses and on porches.
f. Removal of shrub oak and debris around propane tanks
g. Removal of ALL fine fuel such as pine needles, scrub oak, tree branches and
brush adjacent to structures with rustic siding. Follow Defensible Space
guidelines for cleaning and thinning around all other structures. Encourage
homeowners to surround their homes with a gravel band measuring a
minimum of 6 feet wide. Keep grasses within 30 feet of the structure cut short
and ideally, green from irrigation.
h. Removal and storage of flammable patio furniture
i. Removal of all shrub (Gambel) oak along driveways and the roads adjoining
homeowner’s property. Burning shrub oak could make emergency evacuation
very, very difficult!
j. Thin and prune trees to reduce fuel load and introduce appropriate canopy
spacing among mature trees. Use the Firewise, “Ready, Set, Go!”, or CSU
guidelines. Ensure that any mitigation contractors do the same.
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k. Rustic construction homes (shake shingle roofs, bark or cracked log siding,
etc.) may benefit from the installation of a roof sprinkler system to reduce
combustion potential during an Ember Storm.
l. Ensure that barbeques are clean and in good working order. Maintain wood
stove and fireplace chimneys. Install chimney caps with spark arrestor
screening. Keep gas barbeques away from house.
We will inform homeowners that they can request a mitigation plan from the LaVeta
Forester and/or contract with LaVeta Fire Protection Department (LVFPD) to conduct
remediation. We will attach information on these services for homeowner’s
information and use.
The Laudato/Magruder homeowners have contracted with the District Forester and
LVFPD to conduct fire mitigation on their 1.5 acres surrounding their cabin. This
should provide a demonstration of the positive impact of fire mitigation for other
homeowners in the Cuchara West and even the village of Cuchara.
2. Publicize the Cuchara West Community (AAC) Assessment, the AAC Wildfire
Mitigation Action Plan, Firewise Community application and fire mitigation events
through The La Veta Signature, newspaper; TidBits, the Cuchara Association daily
email; personal emails and direct mail.
3. Mitigate fire risk along roads.
a. Fuel reduction along Columbine, Aspen, High Road, and Elm Ridge Road
within 30 feet of the road.
The Interim Board of Directors for the proposed Cuchara West Firewise
Community is planning a Firewise Event to remove scrub oak and small trees
along roads, probably in mid-June. We are planning to arrange for trained
operator with a wood chipper to circulate in the area to chip the resulting
debris for a small fee.
b. Fuel reduction along Highway 12.
According to the AAC Assessment, the Gambel oak on the steep hill on the
west side of Highway 12 has the potential to rapidly spread fire up the hill to
houses along High Road and/or up Lubbock Hill. The AAC Assessment
recommends interruption of continuous oak canopies by removal as well as
removal of oak below conifers and near structures.
The Interim Board of Directors will apply to become a recognized Firewise
Community in order to apply for matching grant funds awarded to the LVFPD
to reduce the risk of fire within 200 feet of any livable structure which will
most likely include areas along nearby roadways.
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We will contact homeowners with homes above Highway 12 to alert them to
the dangers posed by uninterrupted oak shrubs and canopies, inform them of
opportunities to contract with LVFPD and any other organizations to take
appropriate mitigation measures and the availability of matching grants to
defray those costs.
4. Mitigate fire risk in the Meadow between Columbine and High Roads
The meadow between Columbine and High Roads is important for three reasons: A
route across the meadow is a potentially important fire evacuation shortcut to
Highway 12. Finally, many houses surround the park. In addition to the reduction in
risk from fire, homeowners should benefit from improved vistas as the park is
enlarged.
Homeowners surrounding the meadow have plans underway that will address many
of the issues raised in the AAC Assessment. There are several clumps of larger oak
that need to be pruned and have smaller, lower shrubbery removed. One stand is
adjacent to the Farber/Jones cabin and another near the Everheart Cabin. Both the
Jones and Everheart homeowners have plans to undertake this work. Don Heep has
removed and thinned much of the Gambel oak and plans to return to Cuchara in May
to complete removal of scrub oak and pruning.
The Aspen trees along the east edge of the park need only minimal pruning and
probably almost no thinning for optimum density. Shelby Jones, an Interim Board
Member, will mark those trees to be taken out summer of 2013.
However, the Gambel oak and scruffy pine trees line both sides of Columbine Road.
Near the Bennett and Peacock cabins, the oak even surrounds propane tanks. On the
meadow side, the strip between the Jones/Farber and Ayres Cabins need additional
work. Removal of scrub oak along the road to a distance of 30 feet will be a focus of
the planned Firewise Community event for June 2013.
In addition, we will contact the homeowners of properties in serious need of
mitigation to assess their willingness to undertake mitigation measures and interest in
use of matching grants that LVFPD has for Firewise Communities as well as funds
available through the District Forester. Also, the Colorado House Bill tax deduction
makes a deduction available to Colorado tax payers through 2013.
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5. Good Neighbor Agreement with National Forest Services (NFS).
In The District Forester and his staff have applied for a Good Neighbor Agreement
with the NFS in collaboration with the LVFPD. If received, this will permit reduction
of fuels and creation of a buffer zone along the National Forest land along the western
border of the proposed Cuchara West Firewise Community. The Grant proposes
mitigation of 20 acres with a grant of $20,000. There is a 60/40 matching component
of $13,000 comprised of labor (approximately 600 hours) and/or expenditures on fire
mitigation measures. AAFC will have two summers to meet the in-kind matching
requirements so this should not pose a problem.
6. Work with the San Isabel Electric Association to identify hazards for removal along
power line right of way.
Mark Lowery, member of the Interim Board of Directors for the proposed Cuchara
West Firewise Community, has agreed to follow up with the San Isabel Electric
Association regarding maintenance plans and removal of any identified hazards in the
power line right of way.
Medium/Long Term:
1. Continue education and outreach to homeowners in Cuchara West to encourage
annual wildfire mitigation measures and events.
2. Personally contact landowners who have property that still needs mitigation.
3. Encourage adoption of Fire Resistant Building Materials.
These could include cement or fire retardant shingles and siding and replace the
very old and dry rough siding noted in the AAC Assessment. We might be able to
stage a “fair” at which manufacturers displayed their wares. Alternatively, local
hardware stores or lumber yards might be interested in displaying samples and
taking orders. Finally, the local newspaper The Signature might be persuaded to
run an article on fire resistant building materials. Over time, most of the homes in
Cuchara have installed metal roofs due to appreciation of their fire resistant
characteristics.
4. Continue Huerfano County Road Mitigation.
5. Continue work with the San Isabel Electric Association on fuel mitigation of fuels
along power lines.
6. Work to get additional Fire Hydrants.
We will follow up with Cuchara Sanitation and Water Works (CSWW) to explore the
willingness of CSWD to add additional hydrants. Strategic location of hydrants and
testing by the fire department can result in better ISO rating and reduced
homeowners’ insurance rates.
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*Cuchara West Community Interim Board of Directors for Firewise Community:
Janna Laudato, 202-236-1089, jlaudato@starpower.net
Don Heep, mdheep@gmail.com
Shelby Jones, shelby942@embarqmail.com
Mark Lowery, cmlowery@gmail.com
William Everheart, weverheart@att.net
Robert Karper, Robertkarper@aol.com
Gary Bridges, gbridges15@gmail.com
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