Coal Creek Canyon
Community Wildfire Protection Plan
Neighbors Helping Neighbors Protect Our Homes From Wildfire
Step 1
Step 2
Review Your Resident Action Plan
Step 5
Copperdale
Resident Action Plan
Here's an overview of the neighborhood as it relates to Fire Potential and Mitigation Efforts.
The Copperdale Plan Unit has a HIGH Relative Risk Rating.
Under extreme fire weather and during a fire:
• 55% of the area could experience very high to extreme fire behavior.
• 70% of homes are exposed to radiant heat from burning vegetation.
• 100% of homes are exposed to embers from burning vegetation.
• 45% of roads (2.6 miles) have potentially non-survivable conditions.
County:
The entire plan unit is in Boulder County.
Vegetation, topography, and potential fire behavior:
Copperdale is mostly covered by very dense mixed conifer, lodgepole and spruce-fir forest with some aspen. These conditions create a potential for extreme fire behavior. There are many steep slopes, with many narrow valleys and ridges that could increase unpredictable fire behavior.
Hazards in the home ignition zone:
The main threat to the homes in this plan unit is embers landing on roofs or within 30 feet of the home and igniting it. Many homes are built on hillsides and are at higher fire risk. Firefighters may not be able to protect these homes in an extreme wildfire event due to the steep slopes and limited road access with no escape routes.
Many homes in the unit are older and were not built with ignition-resistant materials. For example, wood siding and decking, found on most homes in the unit, can easily ignite when exposed to direct flames or embers from a wildfire. Some homes have older asphalt roofs that are vulnerable to embers. A few homes have good mitigation in zone 1, but this generally does not extend into zones 2 and 3. There is dense vegetation directly adjacent to many homes here. Some have branches near or over the roof, pine needles and leaves in the gutters, and other flammable items within 30 ft of the home including wood piles, dilapidated sheds, and propane tanks.
Roadway accessibility and evacuation capacity:
There are three ways in and out of this community. Practically all roads can accommodate two-way traffic. There are steep roads, switchbacks, and limited turnarounds that can cause traffic to get backed up or move slowly. There are some paved roads and many dirt roads that are generally well maintained.
Fire suppression considerations:
Copperdale has no pressurized fire hydrants and very limited access to water for firefighters from other sources. There are overhead powerlines throughout the plan unit. Downed powerlines can be an ignition source and hazard to firefighters and residents. Some homes do not have consistent and legible address signs, which make them difficult for firefighters to find.
Your Ambassadors are
Jody Dickson & Chris Reichard
Ambassadors are volunteer liaisons to members in their own Plan Unit to help them learn about programs available to them. Ambassadors provide information, community resources and help organize community mitigation projects to reduce wildfire risk around homes and in neighborhoods.
Contact Jody or Chris at
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Recommendations for Residents in
Copperdale
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Prepare your home for wildfire. Residents should start with hardening their homes, then complete mitigation actions in home ignition zones 1 and 2. It is recommended that every homeowner in this plan unit gets a home assessment to identify specific mitigation actions that need to be taken, as actions will vary among homes. Contact Boulder County Wildfire Partners about getting a home assessment and becoming Wildfire Partner Certified.
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Move hazards such as wood piles, propane tanks, and old dilapidated wooden sheds at least 30 ft away from the home. Replace wooden fences with non-combustible fencing material.
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Join, volunteer with, and support the Copperdale/Camp Eden fire mitigation group. Find out how to organize a neighborhood event with your local Saws and Slaws group and volunteer at those events. Organize community-wide home hardening and defensible space tours to demonstrate effective mitigation practices.
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Develop an evacuation plan for your family, sign up for emergency notifications from Boulder County, and coordinate with neighbors who might need additional support during evacuations.
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Install visible, reflective address and street signs. Address signs can be purchased from CCCFPD. Contact your county for installation of reflective street signs.
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Remove trees, shrubs and tall grasses along private roads and driveways to improve evacuation safety and firefighter access during a wildfire, especially along Rudi Lane.
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Contact your local HOA, road association, or the county to remove vegetation along shared roads in the community. Following initial fuel reduction on Highway 72 by CDOT, support the Highway 72 Roadside Fuel Reduction project by working with community groups and neighbors to treat fuels far enough back from the edge of the road to create a healthy fuelbreak.
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Install community cisterns in coordination with CCCFPD.
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Work with neighbors to create linked defensible space. Projects that span multiple properties are more effective at reducing wildfire risk. Contractor costs can sometimes be shared among homeowners, reducing the cost for everyone involved. On average, residents in Copperdale should expect to work with 3-4 neighbors to ensure their HIZ is mitigated.