BEAVER CREEK, COLORADO Wildland Urban Interface: Community Wildfire Protection Plan Prepared for: Beaver Creek Resort Company Avon, Colorado Submitted By: Anchor Point Group Fire Management Boulder, Colorado December, 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS PURPOSE ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 1 THE NATIONAL FIRE PLAN AND THE HEALTHY FOREST RESTORATION ACT ...................................... 2 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................ 3 COLLABORATION: COMMUNITY/AGENCIES/FIRE SAFE COUNCILS ....................................................... 4 STUDY AREA OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................. 5 VALUES .......................................................................................................................................................... 9 LIFE SAFETY AND HOMES ...................................................................................................................... 9 COMMERCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE .................................................................................................... 9 RECREATION AND LIFE STYLE ............................................................................................................ 10 ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES ........................................................................................................... 10 CURRENT RISK SITUATION ....................................................................................................................... 11 FIRE REGIME AND CONDITION CLASS ............................................................................................... 13 FIRE BEHAVIOR POTENTIAL ..................................................................................................................... 16 FIRE BEHAVIOR MODELING LIMITATIONS AND INTERPRETATION ................................................. 16 Flame Length .............................................................................................................................................................. 17 Rate of Spread ............................................................................................................................................................ 17 Crown Fire Activity ...................................................................................................................................................... 18 Spotting Potential ....................................................................................................................................................... 19 SOLUTIONS AND MITIGATION ................................................................................................................... 26 ESTABLISHING AND PRIORITIZING FIRE MANAGEMENT UNITS (FMUS) ......................................... 26 ACCESS AND EVACUATION FMU ......................................................................................................... 26 Adressing ..................................................................................................................................................................... 26 Evacuation Routes ...................................................................................................................................................... 26 Access Route Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 28 PUBLIC EDUCATION FMU ..................................................................................................................... 28 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................................... 29 LOCAL PREPAREDNESS AND FIRE FIGHTING CAPABILITIES FMU.................................................. 29 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................................... 32 HOME MITIGATION FMU ........................................................................................................................ 34 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................................... 37 LANDSCAPE SCALE FUELS MODIFICATIONS FMU ............................................................................ 38 CURRENT AND COMPLETED PROJECTS ............................................................................................ 40 Other Fuels Recommendations ................................................................................................................................ 43 WATER SUPPLY FMU ............................................................................................................................ 43 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................................... 43 GLOSSARY .................................................................................................................................................. 44 RECOMMENDED READING ........................................................................................................................ 47 WEBSITE RESOURCES .............................................................................................................................. 49 ii TABLE OF FIGURES FIGURE 1. HAZARD RANKING OF COMMUNITIES IN THE STUDY AREA ................................................ 6 FIGURE 2. SLOPE ........................................................................................................................................ 7 FIGURE 3. ELEVATION ................................................................................................................................ 8 FIGURE 4. USFS FIRE HISTORY 1986-2006 ............................................................................................. 12 FIGURE 5. CONDITION CLASS MAP ......................................................................................................... 14 FIGURE 6. FLAME LENGTH PREDICTIONS (MODERATE WEATHER CONDITIONS) ............................ 20 FIGURE 7. FLAME LENGTH PREDICTIONS (EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS) ............................... 21 FIGURE 8. RATE OF SPREAD PREDICTIONS (MODERATE WEATHER CONDITIONS) ........................ 22 FIGURE 9. RATE OF SPREAD PREDICTIONS (EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS) ........................... 23 FIGURE 10. CROWN FIRE ACTIVITY PREDICTIONS (MODERATE WEATHER CONDITIONS) ............. 24 FIGURE 11. CROWN FIRE ACTIVITY PREDICTIONS (EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS) ................ 25 FIGURE 12. EVACUATION ROUTES ......................................................................................................... 27 FIGURE 13 FPD OVERVIEW MAP. ........................................................................................................... 30 FIGURE 14. MAP - COMMUNITY DISTANCES TO NEAREST FIRE STATIONS ...................................... 31 FIGURE 15. SADDLE & RIDGE TOP DEVELOPMENT .............................................................................. 34 FIGURE 16. DEFENSIBLE SPACE ZONES ................................................................................................ 36 FIGURE 17. TREATMENT UNITS ............................................................................................................... 42 INDEX OF TABLES TABLE 1. CWPP DEVELOPMENT TEAM ..................................................................................................... 4 TABLE 2. CONDITION CLASS DESCRIPTIONS ........................................................................................ 15 TABLE 3. HAZARD RATINGS BY COMMUNITY ........................................................................................ 37 TABLE 4. RECOMMENDED TREATMENT DISTANCES FOR MID-SLOPE ROADS ................................. 39 APPENDICES APPENDIX A. FIRE BEHAVIOR POTENTIAL ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY………..………………….A1-A29 APPENDIX B. NEIGHBOROOD IGNITABILITY ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS…………….B1-B21 APPENDIX C. STRUCTURAL TRIAGE AND PREPARATION……………………………………………..C1-C3 APPENDIX D. RECOMMENDED ACCESS GUIDELINES………………………………………………….D1-D2 APPENDIX E. COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS………………….……………………………………………..E1-E3 iii PURPOSE This document has the following primary purposes: 1. To provide a comprehensive, scientifically-based analysis of wildfire related hazards and risks in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas of the Beaver Creek Resort community. 2. Using the results of the analysis, generate recommendations designed to prevent and/or reduce the damage associated with wildfire to WUI values in the Beaver Creek study area. 3. Create a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) document for Beaver Creek which conforms to the standards for CWPPs established by the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA). INTRODUCTION The Beaver Creek CWPP is a result of a community-wide planning effort including