Boulder Offers Residents $1,000 to ‘Fireproof’ Their Homes

Boulder officials are launching a new program to help homeowners in specific areas of west Boulder create homes that are more resilient to wildfires.

The Wildfire Resilience Assistance Program provides up to $1,000 in cost-sharing assistance to eligible homeowners in high-risk areas, according to a news release.

“Wildfire resilience in the City of Boulder is a shared responsibility, and any work that community members do in these high-risk areas contributes to the resilience and safety of the entire community,” Boulder Fire Chief Michael Calderazzo said in the release. “Fires can spread very quickly. The better prepared we are in the city’s high-risk areas, the more prepared the entire city will be for future wildfires.”

Homeowners can apply for money through Nov. 30, with a new round of funding available in 2025, the release said.

The program is funded by the climate tax, which voters created in 2022 when they approved Ballot Measure 2A. Between 2023 and 2040, that approved funding is allocated to increase wildfire resilience throughout the city, according to the release. Boulder plans to dedicate up to $380,000 this calendar year specifically to the program.

Homeowners can determine if their property is within the program boundaries. A map is available at bldr.fyi/WRAPeligible. They can also sign up for a home assessment to determine if any program-eligible work is being done on the property, the release said.

“We are excited about this opportunity to help our community become more prepared for wildfires,” Dan Burke, director of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, said in the release. “This is one of many important efforts underway citywide since the climate tax was passed to ensure Boulder is as resilient and prepared as possible.”

Other city wildfire programs include the open space and mountain park perimeter mowing program, detailed wildfire home assessments conducted for residents by Boulder Fire-Rescue’s Community Risk Reduction Team, and enhanced emergency messaging systems that include a new text alert notification system, among others. With text alert notifications, residents sign up for alerts during large-scale emergencies by texting Bocoinfo to 888777.

In a related note, Boulder officials are setting aside funds to improve the wildfire resilience of structures and landscape areas in the Ponderosa manufactured home community.

For more information about the program, eligibility and the application process, visit bouldercolorado.gov/WRAP.

Originally published: September 18, 2024 at 9:35 p.m.