Archives: Communities
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Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians, California
Located near Yosemite National Park in central California, the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians (285 enrolled members) is addressing wildfire from municipal and cultural perspectives as new housing is built on its rancheria among rolling hills and forests. The Tuolumne Band is a federally recognized tribe of Miwok people. At the tribe’s request, CPAW partnered…
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Maui, Hawaii
A catastrophic fire struck the city of Lahaina and the western shore of the island of Maui, Hawaii, in August 2023. More than 100 people were killed and 2,200 structures destroyed. Recovery in Maui has begun. Residents of Maui are determined to rebuild and retrofit more safely for wildfire resilience. In 2024 CPAW met with…
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LaPine, Oregon
A two-stoplight town, La Pine, OR, is surrounded by the mountainous Deschutes National Forest and La Pine State Park with multiple campgrounds and opportunities for outdoor recreation. Wildfire mitigation in La Pine focuses on a variety of strategies to reduce the risk and impact of wildfires. These efforts are driven by local, state, and federal…
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Routt County, Colorado
Comprised of mountainous forests and sprawling ranchlands in northwestern Colorado, Routt County is motivated to keep an eye on wildfires. The county seat is Steamboat Springs, a popular destination for skiers and outdoor recreationists. The Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council was established in 2019 to coordinate fire preparedness and education, and to create resilient, fire-adapted…
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Grand County, Colorado
In fall 2020, the East Troublesome Fire ignited in Grand County in northcentral Colorado. The wind-whipped fire would kill two people and burn 193,812 acres, more than 400 structures, and parts of Rocky Mountain National Park before it was finally halted several weeks later by snow and colder temperatures. The Grand County Wildfire Council applied…
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Estes Park, Colorado
The gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park in northcentral Colorado, Estes Park sits in a forested valley surrounded by wooded mountain terrain. In 2020, wildfires burned 400,000 acres in the vicinity and forced a full evacuation of the community. Tourism and continued growth and development in high-risk areas around Estes Park raise issues for safety,…
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Big Sky, Montana
The unincorporated mountain community of Big Sky is situated in southwestern Montana and next door to Yellowstone National Park. The area features abundant year-round outdoor recreational opportunities from skiing to kayaking, hiking, and fishing, and can see up to 15,000 visitors on any given day. Served by a single two-lane highway and with booming home development…
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Woodside, California
Woodside, CA, is proactive in its fire protection efforts, given its location in a mountainous, wildfire-prone area on the San Francisco Peninsula. The Woodside Fire Protection District (WFPD) promotes fire safety measures such as maintaining defensible space around properties and using fire-resistant landscaping in Woodside and nearby Portola Valley (pop. 4,289). The WFPD also conducts…
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Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Located in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado, Steamboat Springs is actively working on wildfire mitigation to protect the community and its surrounding environment. The city reached out to CPAW in 2023 as it was updating its development codes. CPAW staff visited the area and talked with city officials, the wildfire council, and the community…
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Austin, Texas
Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country and boasts a population nearing 1 million in 2020. Austin also has high wildfire risk which is increasing with a warming climate and ongoing development in wildfire-prone lands. Outside of California, more structures are destroyed by wildfires in Texas than any other state in the country. To bolster ongoing…
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Baker County, Florida
Baker County is situated in the northeast portion of Florida and is characterized by extensive wildland-urban interface (WUI). Nearly the entire population of the county, or 95 percent of the 28,000 residents, live in the WUI. Baker County’s WUI also includes vast federal and state forested lands, comprising 44 percent of the county. Florida, together…
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Bemidji, Minnesota
The beautiful and remote Northwoods of Minnesota draw year-round visitors, and the pace of new development in the Greater Bemidji Area is increasing rapidly as a result. Because communities are scattered throughout its forested environment, all development is considered part of the wildland-urban interface (WUI). The local fire personnel respond to hundreds of fires each year,…
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Bend, Oregon
Consistently named one of the best places to live in the U.S., Bend, Oregon is one of the fastest growing municipalities in the nation. With an active fire history throughout the region and recent fires destroying homes and other structures, the challenges associated with the rapid pace of development make planning for wildfire a priority.…
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Boise, Idaho
The rapidly growing City of Boise, Idaho is located in a sage steppe ecosystem susceptible to fast-moving fires, especially in its rugged Foothills. The community has experienced several destructive wildfires including the Oregon Trail Fire (2008) that burned ten homes and resulted in loss of life and the Highway 16 Fire (2009) that burned four…
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Boulder County, Colorado
Thirty miles northwest of Denver, Colorado, on the front range of the Rocky Mountains, Boulder County encompasses 10 municipalities among vast public lands including parts of a wilderness area and Rocky Mountain National Park. The county is a world-class recreation area and destination for a growing high-tech workforce. Much of this scenic landscape is highly…
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City of Chelan, Washington
The eastern slope of the Cascade Mountain Range in Washington has recently experienced several large wildfires affecting local communities. In 2015, the Chelan Complex fires destroyed homes and businesses within the City of Chelan’s urban growth boundary, severely disrupting local services and the economy. In addition to the Chelan Complex Fire, the region has a long history of wildfire and will…
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Chelan County, Washington
Chelan County is one of Washington’s fastest growing counties on the east side of the Cascade Mountain Range. Many new residents are second homeowners coming from less fire-prone areas of the state, eager to enjoy the mild climate and beautiful Lake Chelan. Most new development is in dry ponderosa pine and shrub-steppe environments that evolved…
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Deadwood, South Dakota
The City of Deadwood, located in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota, has a thriving tourism industry with more than 2 million visitors each year. The steep, mountainous topography, historic structures, remote location and limited access, and significant tourist industry have made Deadwood at high risk to wildfire. Deadwood became a CPAW community in…
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Flagstaff, Arizona
Located in midst of the world’s largest stand of ponderosa pine trees, Flagstaff, Arizona has long been aware of the threat of catastrophic wildfires. Local leaders have advocated for stewardship and management of the region’s forests for decades to reduce hazardous fuels and protect critical watersheds. The CPAW team visited Flagstaff and worked with city…
