BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Gusting winds like the ones whipping across Boulder County on Monday triggered memories of the devastating Marshall Fire.
To try and help mitigate such destructive fires, Boulder County now says it will add 12 people to its wildfire mitigation team.
“In the past 30 years, Boulder County has been working on wildfire mitigation in the foothills and mountains and the forested Western part of the county. We are now going to be working countywide expanding programs that have been working in the mountains to the Eastern Plains,” said Jim Webster, Boulder County’s wildfire partners program coordinator.
Sales tax funds Boulder County wildfire team
Money to pay for the new positions will come in part from a sales and use tax approved by voters. The county said the expanded team will also help create forest and grassland management projects.
The larger team will, among other things, also look for ways eventually to work with local governments and help neighborhoods in places like Superior and Louisville and other communities as well. The plan would cover more territory across the county.
Tawyna Somauroo lost her home during the Marshall Fire in Louisville. She said help is badly needed to help make sure neighborhoods are rebuilt in the safest way possible when it comes to wildfire mitigation.
“We can go find recommendations, but it’s hard to figure out how to follow them and tailor them to living in our urban environment,” Somauroo, a fire survivor advocate, said.
Somauroo has already started rebuilding her home and is working with other fire survivor advocates to help create a plan that would keep homes safer during fires.
Boulder County said its goal is to make sure the entire county benefits from its expanded team.