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FEMA’s Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT) has released its first report evaluating building performance and sharing observations in the aftermath of a wildfire. The subject fire evaluated was Colorado’s 2021 Marshall Fire that destroyed 1,000 single- and multifamily homes and commercial structures in Louisville, Superior, and unincorporated Boulder County, Colorado. Because of the unique nature of the incident, a fast-moving grass fire became a highly destructive urban conflagration that directly and indirectly impacted several communities and the greater Boulder County area.
Some unique observations included in the report include:
How building components prevented or contributed to the spread of fire to structures;
How neighborhoods with homes that had less than 30 feet of separation suffered greater losses, and
How unmanaged drainage ditches throughout the area acted as “wildfire superhighways,” facilitating the rapid spread of wildfire through the community.
The report and 7 accompanying documents can be used by planners, fire departments and community leaders to help create better wildfire planning documents, as well as develop and implement more effective wildfire mitigation projects including structure and landscape improvements.