Boulder plans to focus its wildfire prevention efforts on a dozen neighborhoods along its western edge, where homes face some of the city’s greatest wildfire risks. The approach marks a shift toward concentrating resources in the most vulnerable areas.
But the city aims to have just 20% of homes in those areas meet wildfire home-hardening standards by 2030, prompting several Boulder City Councilmembers to call for more ambitious goals.
The proposal, presented during an Oct. 22 council study session, is part of a broader plan to prioritize wildfire resilience through 2030. It includes a framework called “Wildfire Ready 2030” to guide projects and a resource hub to help residents protect their homes.
Which Boulder neighborhoods face the greatest wildfire risk?
The city’s wildfire risk is not evenly distributed. The greatest danger is concentrated along Boulder’s western edge, where steep terrain, dense vegetation and proximity to forested land and grasses can allow fires to spread rapidly, particularly during high winds.
City staff divided the western edge into 12 areas and evaluated them based on potential fire intensity and spread, and the vulnerability of buildings.
The areas fall into three risk categories:
- Highest risk: Wonderland Hills, Knollwood-Red Rocks, Flagstaff-University Hill and Devil’s Thumb-Shanahan Ridge.
- Very high risk: Sanitas, Chautauqua, East Chautauqua and NCAR-NIST.
- High risk: Dakota Ridge, Northbriar, North Wonderland and Shanahan Ranch.
The classifications are intended to help the city direct limited resources to places where wildfire could spread from surrounding wildlands into residential neighborhoods.
Residents can see whether their neighborhood is among the 12 highest-risk areas using the city’s interactive wildfire risk map.
“Hardening these prioritized areas protects everyone, not just those who live there,” staff wrote.
Boulder’s proposed wildfire protection targets
To reduce the risk in these neighborhoods, the city aims to complete wildfire assessments for 55% of homes in the 12 priority areas by 2030. Known as Detailed Home Assessments, or DHAs, the free assessments offered through Boulder Fire-Rescue identify wildfire vulnerabilities and recommend steps homeowners can take to reduce their risk.
But assessments alone don’t reduce wildfire risk unless homeowners act on the recommendations. The city also wants 20% of homes in those areas to meet a home-hardening standard by 2030. Home hardening involves changes to buildings and the areas immediately surrounding them, such as using fire-resistant materials and removing combustible vegetation, to make homes less likely to ignite during a wildfire.
These goals represent “what we believe is achievable at current investment levels,” staff wrote in a memo accompanying the study session. A major challenge is persuading homeowners to make improvements voluntarily, without an ordinance requiring them to do so.
“We want to be able to do more than just hand off a report and say, ‘Here you go, homeowner, here’s a list of resources, we’ll check in on you later,’” said Boulder Fire Chief Michael Calderazzo. He added that since DHAs have been offered, no homeowner has completed all of their mitigation recommendations.
“Many have done many of them, but even they’ve had to prioritize on their own,” Calderazzo added. City officials have also struggled to determine why some residents in high-risk areas have not participated in the assessment program.
To help close that gap, the city is developing a Home Hardening Implementation Hub that would bring together financial assistance, technical guidance and other resources to help homeowners and renters reduce their wildfire risk. The hub is intended to serve residents across income levels.
Councilmembers push for more ambitious goals
Several councilmembers argued that the proposed targets fall short of the urgency of the wildfire threat.
“Instead of being conservative, we should be more aggressive with our goals as long as our resources can achieve them,” said Councilmember Matt Benjamin.
Benjamin proposed a target of assessing 100% of homes in the highest-risk areas, while Councilmember Rob Kaplan recommended more ambitious, phased targets for home hardening in each risk area.
Mayor Aaron Brockett echoed the call for higher targets, pointing to the city’s practice of setting aspirational goals in other areas, including climate action.
“We have targets that are aspirational that we may not quite meet, but we think we should meet if at all possible,” he said. “I think this is a phenomenal approach, and I’m looking forward to seeing our city continue to operate on all cylinders.”
“Until we get something like a mandatory home-hardening ordinance, we have to do everything short of harassing folks to get them educated and on board and using the tools,” Benjamin added. “Change comes from endless pressure.”
Boulder has considered requiring existing homes to meet wildfire-hardening standards. New construction has been subject to such requirements since August 2025, but expanding the requirement to existing homes would require more staff at a time when the city is facing a budget shortfall. Staff are also considering whether to tie wildfire mitigation requirements to rental licenses, similar to the city’s SmartRegs energy-efficiency program.
The proposed wildfire plan goes beyond individual homes. By 2030, the city also aims to reach 75% of households in high-risk areas with evacuation preparedness programs, treat all city-owned acreage in the wildland-urban interface to a wildfire risk-reduction standard and move 20 miles of overhead utility lines underground.
If additional funding becomes available in 2027, officials propose to expand home-hardening grants, evaluate lower-cost options for home assessments, hold more community preparedness events, upgrade emergency sirens and increase grazing and mowing to reduce vegetation that could fuel fires.
Councilmember Tina Marquis raised concerns about residents in areas with weak cell service who may lose access to emergency information if they lose Wi-Fi. Councilmember Taishya Adams wanted staff to develop relocation and recovery plans for residents displaced by a wildfire. Other councilmembers also emphasized the need for stronger evacuation planning.
Staff are expected to report back to council on progress in spring 2027.
How Boulder plans to pay for wildfire protection
The city’s priority wildfire programs are estimated to cost as much as $10 million, including staffing, equipment and contractor services.
Boulder’s $552.6 million budget, approved Oct. 15, includes $11 million for wildfire resilience, an increase of $1.6 million over 2026.
To support the effort, the city has redirected $300,000 from its Climate Fund and increased capital investments by Open Space and Mountain Parks by $560,000.
Staff are continuing to pursue other sources of funding, including up to $1.25 million in county, state and federal grants, and are considering redirecting another $600,000 from the Open Space Fund. Additional funding proposals are expected to come before council in 2027.
