Wildfire Preparedness

New in 2025 Banner

Wildfire in Lyons 

Did you know that Lyons, like a lot of towns in Colorado, is at risk of experiencing a wildfire? In 2024, the Stone Canyon fire burned over 1,500 acres just outside of Town limits forcing some in Lyons neighborhoods to evacuate their homes. While wildfire can be scary, there are many tools residents can use to help prepare for fires and help prevent the spread of fires from the wildlands to homes or vice versa. Help us keep Lyons safe and learn more about wildfire today. To view Colorado Wildfire Risk Maps see the Colorado State Forest Service's Wildfire Risk Viewer.

What is the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)?

One common term you may hear surrounding wildfires is WUI or Wildland Urban Interface. This refers to the zone where human development (homes, infrastructures, towns, cities, etc.) meets and mingles with the wildland vegetation. Many municipalities in Colorado are built in areas such as this including Lyons, which is surrounded by a range of vegetation, parks, and open areas. Since Lyons is so close to a range of vegetation, we must work hard to prevent fires from spreading to the Town and also from the Town to surrounding areas.

WUI Picture - Utah State University

Colorado WUI








Are there rules for building in the Wildland Urban Interface?

Many states do have specific rules for building in areas in the WUI or higher-risk areas. Colorado is currently working on a new code that would apply to buildings in areas considered medium to higher risk. Lyons will fall into the regulations of the new code and so we expect to see some changes to requirements for future buildings. Some of these requirements may also apply to renovations or may be retroactive and apply to the maintenance of the land around the home. The WUI code as it currently stands includes home hardening which ensures materials used are not ones that easily catch on fire and also requires items such as vent covers that help protect homes. The code also includes site maintenance/management requirements which may include using rocks instead of bark mulch, trimming trees, removing plantings near homes, etc. It is still being determined which areas will apply retroactively but is useful to all homeowners to read and review so that you may understand more about the risks to your home. This new code will likely be in place for Lyons no later than January 2026. You can find the draft WUI Code at the Wildfire Resiliency Code Board Website. 

How does wildfire spread?

Wildfire is largely spread through ember ignition. This means that embers (small pieces of burning materials) from the fire are spread through the wind and may land somewhere far from the fire and start a new fire further away. This new fire may start small but can spread quickly to a larger fire if it is given the opportunity. Our goal as a Town is to limit the opportunity for fires to spread to Lyons and the good news is this is something that we can make great progress with.

Where do embers land?

Embers can land anywhere but it is sometimes easy to imagine an ember might blow to similar places where leaves, needles, and brush might gather on a windy day. They may land in gutters, on roofs, or along the base of your house and fence. They might also land in a tree, on a bush or anywhere else the wind blows them – including open windows, garages, chimneys, etc. One easy start to protecting your home is to ensure flammable materials are cleaned from gutters, roofs, yards, and near your home – this takes time but should be free or cheap if you are able to complete these tasks yourself.

Ember Ignition

What can I do to protect my home?

Learn about Defensible Space! A basic understanding of defensible space is to know that preparing the first 5 feet around your home/structure can help you make great progress towards becoming resilient to wildfire. Extending beyond 5 feet of your home/structure is also important in keeping the fire far from structures. There are ways to prepare for 5-30 feet away from as structure as well as considerations for 30-100 feet from your structure. Many times these distances extend into your neighbor's property and beyond – and while you are not able to complete work on other properties, this demonstrates why it is so important for neighbors and communities to work together to get ready for wildfire.

Wildfire 2

The first and best thing to do is get a Wildfire Partners Individual Home Assessment. This is a free service offered by Boulder County and Wildfire Partners, where an expert will visit your property and walk the site with you so that you can learn about your risks, as well as next-steps to become more resilient to wildfire. You will receive a personalized post-visit report that will show your risks and provides assistance for what to correct to stay safe. The Town encourages all residents to receive this assessment as soon as possible and encourage all neighbors to do the same.

Rebate Programs

In 2024 and continuing into 2025, Boulder County is offering a rebate of up to $500 per household for eligible mitigation activity. The Boulder County Rebate Program is designed to be easily accessible to all residents and the county thinks of it as a great first step for many homeowners to complete mitigation work. Boulder County is also assisting Lyons with the new Lyons Wildfire Mitigation Program. The Town of Lyons will be matching the County rebate with up to $500 for households in the Town limits,  who complete eligible mitigation work. The Lyons rebate is limited and will run until all funds are used up and will also require that each household completes a Free Home Assessment offered by Boulder County. The Town hopes that residents will learn more about their risks through this assessment and that as a Town we will all be more knowledgeable. To be eligible for the Town of Lyons rebate you must first participate in the Boulder County Rebate program and must have spent more than $500. The Town of Lyons will not give rebates for work completed prior to program launch and will also not give out rebates to those whose expenses were already covered (you cannot spend $450 total on wildfire work and receive $450 from both the County and Town).

Boulder County Rebate: Details, eligible work, and information at Wildfire Partners

Town of Lyons Rebate: Details, eligible work, and information at Town of Lyons

How do I make my home more resilient?

There are many ways to make your home more resilient and some cost little to no money to complete. For others, Boulder County and the Town of Lyons are offering a rebate program in 2025 that can assist with eligible mitigation projects.
  1. Clear all debris from your gutters, the base of your house, under your deck, base of your fences, etc. Dry debris can catch fire easily and may spread to your home, fence, deck, or other materials. Store flammable materials in a garage or shed if possible.
  2. Be aware of where you store your firewood, propane, and other flammables. For some, moving these are very easy while others may need to make another plan. While storing firewood under a deck may seem like a good idea to keep the wood dry, it is not a good place as embers may blow under, catch the wood, and then spread to your deck.
  3. Examine the first five feet of material surrounding your home and begin to remove flammable material. This includes debris, flammable plants, wood chips and mulch that may catch fire, etc. Replace bark chips with rocks and try not to plant in this area. If you insist on plants: looks for fire-resistant plants such as the ones provided by CSU Extension.
  4. Pay special attention to trees near your home. Conifers or anything piney, woody, or dead may catch easier than trees with leaves or lots of moisture. Trim trees up from the ground to at least 6 feet and consider removing trees that overhang your roof, are close to your structures, or are dead. Have a juniper? There is a specific program in Boulder County that will provide refunds to remove it. Junipers collect dead leaves and trash but beyond that burn hot, fast, give off large flames, and generate many embers.
  5. Cover or replace vents! Embers can be sucked into homes via open vents, windows, chimneys, etc. but we can make these openings safer by covering them with 1/8 inch screening. Remember - some vents on a home should not be modified without seeking the help from a professional. 
  6. Install metal flashing or a non-combustible material at the base of your house! As embers are blown by the wind and land at the base of your home, it is important that the material they are closest to is one that won't catch easily. You may install metal flashing, cut siding away, replace the bottom pieces with non-combustible siding, install a non-combustible trim, or install a metal or other overlay.
  7. Is your fence beginning to fail or are you able to replace parts? The parts of fences that connect to homes and/or structures should be replaced with non combustible materials or low flammable materials. If a fence catches on fire and it connects to a home, it can easily spread to the roof and eaves or the siding of the home. Replacing only the first 5 feet connecting to your home may be much more cost effective than replacing an entire fence but if you are building a new structure, consider building with a material such as metal, stone, or approved non-combustible material. 
  8. Learn more about Wildfire Mitigation Rebates! Boulder County offers up to $500 to residents in Boulder County, including Town of Lyons residents, for eligible activities in 2025. New in 2025 - the Town of Lyons will provide up to $500 for residents who complete qualifying mitigation. For more information on the rebate programs visit the Wildfire Partners Rebate page or the Lyons Rebate page.
Wildfire Defensible Space

Questions and Next Steps


You may direct all wildfire questions to communitydevelopment@townoflyons.com
Ready to Apply?  Town of Lyons Wildfire Mitigation Rebate Application