Archives: Communities
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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,…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
