SOUTH METRO FIRE RESCUE AUTHORITY COLORADO Wildland Urban Interface: Community Wildfire Protection Plan Prepared For: South Metro Fire Rescue Authority Colorado Submitted By: Anchor Point Group Fire Management Boulder, Colorado December, 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................1 TAKE HOME MESSAGES .................................................................................................................................. 2 HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT ...........................................................................................................2 PURPOSE ...........................................................................................................................................3 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................4 THE NATIONAL FIRE PLAN AND THE HEALTHY FORESTS RESTORATION ACT ...........................................4 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES .....................................................................................................................5 OTHER DESIRED OUTCOMES ..................................................................................................................... 6 COLLABORATION: COMMUNITY & AGENCIES .....................................................................................6 STUDY AREA OVERVIEW .....................................................................................................................8 VALUES ............................................................................................................................................ 13 LIFE SAFETY AND HOMES ........................................................................................................................ 13 COMMERCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE ....................................................................................................... 13 Economic Values ................................................................................................................................. 13 Critical Infrastructure .......................................................................................................................... 14 ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................... 18 Watershed Concerns ........................................................................................................................... 18 CURRENT RISK SITUATION ................................................................................................................ 19 PUBLIC EDUCATION .......................................................................................................................... 21 PREVIOUS AND CURRENT EFFORTS ......................................................................................................... 21 HOME MITIGATION .......................................................................................................................... 22 LOCAL PREPAREDNESS AND FIRE DEPARTMENT CAPABILITIES............................................................ 22 FIRE BEHAVIOR POTENTIAL ............................................................................................................... 23 FIRE BEHAVIOR MODELING LIMITATIONS AND INTERPRETATION .......................................................... 24 FLAME LENGTH ....................................................................................................................................... 24 RATE OF SPREAD ..................................................................................................................................... 25 CROWN FIRE ACTIVITY ............................................................................................................................ 25 COMMUNITY IGNITABILITY ANAYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................... 31 PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................................. 31 GENERAL COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................... 34 COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................... 35 COMMUNITIES FROM THE PARKER FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT CWPP ................................................. 36 The Pinery ............................................................................................................................................ 37 Homestead Hills .................................................................................................................................. 40 Ponderosa Hills .................................................................................................................................... 42 Democrat Road ................................................................................................................................... 44 Lemon Gulch ........................................................................................................................................ 46 Black Forest ......................................................................................................................................... 48 The Timbers ......................................................................................................................................... 50 Colorado Golf Club .............................................................................................................................. 52 Hidden Village ..................................................................................................................................... 54 Windy Hills .......................................................................................................................................... 56 Johnson Road ...................................................................................................................................... 58 Parker East .......................................................................................................................................... 60 Ponderosa East .................................................................................................................................... 62 Pine Bluffs............................................................................................................................................ 64 i CASTLE PINES VILLAGE ............................................................................................................................ 66 COMMUNITY DESCRIPTIONS FOLLOWING THE PFPD AND SMFR MERGER............................................. 74 Happy Canyon ..................................................................................................................................... 75 McArthur Ranch South ........................................................................................................................ 78 Surrey Ridge ........................................................................................................................................ 80 Charter Oaks ....................................................................................................................................... 83 Chatfield .............................................................................................................................................. 86 Buffalo Ridge ....................................................................................................................................... 89 Forest Park .......................................................................................................................................... 92 Happy Canyon Ranches ....................................................................................................................... 94 Louviers ............................................................................................................................................... 97 McArthur Ranch North ...................................................................................................................... 100 Plum Valley Heights .......................................................................................................................... 102 The Retreat ........................................................................................................................................ 104 Titan Road ......................................................................................................................................... 107 Castle Pines North ............................................................................................................................. 110 Cherokee Ridge Estates ..................................................................................................................... 113 Romar West ...................................................................................................................................... 115 Whisper Canyon ................................................................................................................................ 118