AMU Emergency Management Original Public Safety

Colorado Wildfires: Should We Reconsider Neighborhood Planning?

By Allison G. S. Knox
Edge Contributor

The recent wildfires in Louisville, Colorado, are unbelievably devastating. Cul-de-sac communities that once looked like happy neighborhoods have been ravaged by the disaster, and some neighborhoods were completely obliterated by the fires. Other neighborhoods had streets with some homes still standing, while their neighbors were literally left with nothing. 

It is hard to imagine what losing an entire home and its contents would feel like. Such a disaster also causes the public to contemplate what the community could have done differently to prevent such a disaster from happening, especially since the community resources and manpower are exhausted by the recovery and rebuilding efforts. 

Cul-De-Sac Communities Are Particularly Vulnerable during Wildfires

When we have serious disasters like the one that recently occurred in Colorado, a knee-jerk reaction by the general public is to reevaluate whether the design of the community is still a good idea. Are we setting communities up for failure by placing homes too close together?

For many homeowners, cul-de-sac communities are wonderful, close-knit neighborhoods to raise a family or to buy a house. Many homes often keep their home values years after purchase, and some homes continue to increase in value.

But from a fire safety standpoint, cul-de-sac neighborhoods can be more vulnerable to fires. The closer homes are together, the more easily a wildfire can spread between them. Fires typically thrive as long as fuel, oxygen and heat are present. In the recent Colorado fires, the winds from the wildfires reached about 115 mph and further worsened the damage caused by the fires.

Analyzing the Fire Risk of Cul-De-Sac Neighborhoods

While there may be a knee-jerk reaction to evaluate cul-de-sac community designs, we need to remember that risk analysis is an important part of emergency management and emergency preparedness operations.  There are millions of cul-de-sac communities throughout the United States, and not all of them experience major wildfires. A particular community may never see another wildfire again, or perhaps it may see a smaller, less damaging wildfire.

Fire safety is always an important factor to consider in urban planning. But a risk analysis can show that while certain neighborhoods may have a higher incidence of wildfires, this isn’t enough to completely eliminate popular cul-de-sac communities.

Ultimately, we need to consider how these types of communities can be affected by disasters and plan accordingly. In addition, after-action reports on the Colorado wildfires should offer recommendations for preventing future incidents in cul-de-sac communities. For instance:

  • What mechanisms could have changed this wildfire disaster for the better? 
  • Would fire breaks have saved the Colorado communities? 
  • Could any damage have been prevented? 

Fire safety and emergency management professionals should research the Colorado wildfires and make recommendations for preventing these types of incidents, especially in cul-de-sac communities. We know that disasters will continue to happen, but the more we utilize risk analysis and preventative measures, the more resilient and safer our communities will become.

Allison G. S. Knox teaches in the fire science and emergency management departments at American Military University and American Public University. Focusing on emergency management and emergency medical services policy, she often writes and advocates about these issues. Allison serves as the At-Large Director of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians and as Chancellor of the Southeast Region on the Board of Trustees with Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in Social Sciences. She is also chair of Pi Gamma Mu’s Leadership Development Program. Prior to teaching, Allison worked for a member of Congress in Washington, D.C. and in a Level One trauma center emergency department. She is an emergency medical technician and holds multiple graduate degrees.

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