Wildfire season in Colorado is getting longer and more intense, and for homeowners in fire-prone areas, preparing their properties can mean the difference between a home that survives and one that doesn’t. That’s where the West Region Wildfire Council (WRWC) comes in.
The nonprofit has been working across six Western Slope counties to help residents take proactive steps in wildfire mitigation—steps that are now earning national recognition.
Its Wildfire Ready Home certification connects homeowners with a wildfire mitigation specialist who assesses properties and provides customized recommendations.
The program has been so successful that it’s earned WRWC Wildfire Mitigation Specialist Aaron Johnson the 2025 Wildfire Mitigation Award, the highest national honor for wildfire mitigation work.
Wildfire Mitigation Specialist Aaron Johnson.
A hands-on approach to wildfire mitigation
Based in Ridgway, WRWC is a nonprofit organization that serves six counties across western Colorado—Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel, and Delta. The Wildfire Ready Home Program has been in the works since 2019. When Johnson joined in 2022, he began working more on the program, and by the winter of 2023, the WRWC had developed standards for certification.
Last year alone, Johnson, who lives with his wife Kendra in Montrose, conducted 220 site visits, working directly with homeowners to create custom mitigation plans. WRWC is the only organization doing this kind of work in the area, but Johnson said there are similar programs on the Front Range.
“Each visit takes about an hour,” Johnson said. “We do a full 360-degree walk around the home, looking at everything from vegetation to building materials. But we’re not just telling people to cut down trees—we’re helping them harden their homes against embers, manage their landscaping, and get their evacuation plans in place.”
The program is important for homeowners who live in the wildland urban interface, or the area where human development meets undeveloped wildland.
Wildfires are getting more intense in Colorado. (Provided photo)
Johnson said the program can help attain or retain home insurance, increase a homes resale value and, most importantly, give people peace of mind that they’ve done everything they can to mitigate damage a wildfire might do to their home.
People interested can schedule a free site visit through WRWC’s website, and Johnson goes to their home or property to do an assessment, whcih checks for things like:
• Home hardening: Checking vents, decks, gutters, and siding for potential fire risks.
• Vegetation management – Identifying flammable brush, trees, and firewood stacks too close to structures.
• Evacuation readiness – Ensuring homeowners have go-bags, an evacuation plan, and are signed up for emergency alerts.
• Insurance documentation – Helping property owners create records that can be useful if they need to file a wildfire-related claim.
“We talk about things people don’t always think about,” Johnson said. “Do they have vinyl patio furniture on a deck? A woodpile right against the house? Clogged gutters? These seem like small things, but in a fire, they can make the difference between a home surviving or being lost.”
Tackling the insurance challenge
For homeowners in places like Ouray, Ridgway, and other high-risk areas, wildfire mitigation isn’t just about safety—it’s about keeping their homes insurable.
A homeowner receives a Wildfire Ready Home certificate, which can help retain or attain homeowner’s insurance, increase resale value and give peace of mind. (Provided photo)
“We’re seeing insurance companies dropping people or refusing to cover entire zip codes,” Johnson said. “If you can’t get insurance, you can’t get a mortgage, which means people are stuck.”
Some homeowners are facing skyrocketing premiums. Some have seen their insurance jump into the tens of thousands.
WRWC’s Wildfire Ready Home Program is helping combat this by working with insurance companies to gain recognition for the program, so homeowners who take mitigation steps can provide documentation that may help them maintain coverage.
“The goal is to show insurance companies that these homeowners are taking the right steps,” Johnson said. “The more we get buy-in from the industry, the more homeowners can benefit.”
At the state level, Colorado has also introduced the FAIR Plan (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements), a last-resort coverage option for homeowners who can’t get insured through private companies. The program isn’t ideal—coverage is capped at $750,000, and premiums are higher than private insurers—but it provides a safety net for those who would otherwise go uninsured.
A nationally recognized program
WRWC’s hands-on approach to wildfire mitigation has earned national attention.
The Wildfire Mitigation Award has been presented to some of the most effective wildfire mitigation programs in the country, including Wildfire Partners in Boulder County and the Bureau of Land Management’s Color Country and Paria River Fuels Team in Utah.
More than just home visits
WRWC does more than site visits. The organization also plays a big role in vegetation management, helping property owners remove hazardous fuels from their land through cost-sharing programs and technical assistance.
“Our foresters go out, lay out projects, and connect homeowners with contractors,” Johnson said. “We also secure funding to lower costs for people, because mitigation work isn’t cheap.”
Beyond that, WRWC acts as a regional hub, bringing together local fire districts, emergency management offices, and government agencies to create a coordinated wildfire mitigation strategy.
“There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to wildfire mitigation,” Johnson said. “We help make sure all those different efforts are working together instead of duplicating efforts or missing key gaps.”
One way they do this is through grant funding. WRWC has helped secure major wildfire mitigation grants, including funds through the Community Wildfire Defense Grant, which helps at-risk communities develop wildfire protection plans and implement fire mitigation projects.
Mitigation works
One of the biggest takeaways from WRWC’s work is that small, simple changes can have a big impact on whether a home survives a wildfire.
“It’s not that people don’t understand the risks,” Johnson said. “It’s just that they don’t always realize how easy it is to make a big difference.”
Some of the most common hazards he sees include:
• Firewood stacked against homes
• Plastic patio furniture on wooden decks
• Planters and flammable decorations under eaves
• Unscreened vents allowing embers into attic spaces
• Debris-filled gutters and roofs
“These things seem harmless—until they’re not,” Johnson said. “If an ember lands in the wrong place, a house can go up in flames in minutes.”
He gives homeowners a simple way to think about it: “If you dumped a bag of hot charcoal on it, would it burn? If the answer is yes, move it or protect it.”
A well-earned award
For Johnson, receiving the 2024 Wildfire Mitigation Award is an honor, but it’s also a sign that the work WRWC is doing is making a real impact.
“It’s a big deal for us,” he said. “We’re incredibly honored.”
The award, given by the National Association of State Foresters, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Fire Protection Association, and the USDA Forest Service, recognizes top-tier wildfire mitigation efforts across the country.
For Johnson and WRWC, it’s proof that what they’re doing works.
“Mitigation works,” Johnson said. “We see it time and again—homes that take proactive steps have a better chance of surviving. Our goal is to help as many people as possible realize that and take action before it’s too late.”
Justin Tubbs is the Montrose Business Times editor. He can be reached by email at justin@montrosebusinesstimes.com or by phone at 970-765-0915 or mobile at 254-246-2260.
