As wildfire practitioners, your role in connecting communities with reliable, timely information is more important than ever. May is National Wildfire Awareness Month—a critical time to promote wildfire prevention and preparedness as risks increase with warmer, drier conditions across Colorado. Join the Colorado State Forest Service, USFS, BLM, DFPC, Colorado State Fire Chiefs, FACO, West Metro… learn more >

The Colorado Emergency Management Association (CEMA) hosted its first-ever Capital Day on Monday, March 10th. Fire Adapted Colorado’s Training and Network Specialist Lara Thomas and Network and Training Fellow Sophie Pullen were excited to attend!  The event provided insights into Colorado’s legislative process. It offered opportunities to engage with legislators, CEMA members, and 3015 Policy… learn more >

As Fire Adapted Colorado looks to the future, its commitment to building stronger, fire-adapted communities remains unwavering. As we’ve seen in just a few short weeks in 2025, changes in funding priorities can negatively impact place-based network participants such as county and local governments, fire departments, and our NGO partners working towards wildfire resilience in… learn more >

It’s only January, and the size and scale of the LA Fires stand as a stark reminder of Colorado’s 2020 Conflagration–the Marshall Fire. With similar speed and spread, the western United States continues to witness a surge in “fast fires”—wildfires that expand rapidly over short periods, posing significant threats to lives, property, and infrastructure. These… learn more >

FACO’s visionaries recognized that sometimes a little ember of funding is all that is needed to get a new project or program underway, and established Opportunity Funds for Network participants in 2018. These continue to be a great way to spur projects and fill critical funding gaps. In 2024, with a mix-and-match of support from the… learn more >

Rebecca Samulski, Executive Director: I created this collage and story to inspire support for Fire Adapted Colorado through my Colorado Gives Day fundraiser page. Fire Adapted Colorado is Colorado’s Wildfire Resilience Network, supporting community leaders in wildfire preparedness, with 270+ participants and growing. I’m privileged to work with Cindy, Lara, and Julie. Lara, FACO’s network… learn more >

The Power of the Fire Adapted Colorado Network in Building Wildfire Resilience As wildfires continue to challenge communities across Colorado, one thing has become increasingly clear: our ability to address these challenges effectively relies on collaboration, innovation, and the sharing of resources and knowledge. In this spirit, we want to take a moment to express… learn more >

Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2024 (FY25) West Updated February 19, 2025 The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the USDA Forest Service’s third round of the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) is open effective  Nov 21, 2024. NOTE: The criteria that determine eligibility for a cost-share waiver for CWDG have been updated to only include… learn more >

Early October, in beautiful Snowmass, participants and enthusiasts of Colorado’s Wildfire Resilience Network, gathered to garner strategies that can make our state more resilient to wildfire. With 251 registered attendees onsite, this conference ranked among our best-attended events, featuring a notable influx of first-time participants, including some who were sponsored by CFCN, SRFSN, COCO and… learn more >

As the air cools and the leaves start turning gold, it’s clear that fall is upon us in Colorado. For participants of the Fire Adapted Colorado (FACO) Network, this is a busy and exciting time of year. Many field projects are coming together, and a host of conferences, trainings, and planning initiatives are kicking off.… learn more >

Monday, September 30 – Tuesday, October 1,   2 day workshop $50 (includes lunches and workshop materials) Through a FAC Ambassador approach, practitioners can empower local residents to be catalysts for wildfire adaptation in their neighborhoods. The approach provides a structure to recruit and train volunteers, work with partners and support community events. An extensive toolkit… learn more >

A glance at the NIFC (pronounced niff-c), National Fire News webpage, and I noticed the drop to National Preparedness Level 4. That’s good news, despite Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming and Washington, all currently reporting large fires. The NIFC site reports “As of this morning, 48 large active wildfires are being managed with full suppression strategies… learn more >

Join us in ‘Meeting the Moment’ October 1-4, 2024     Excitement is Building for the #2024CWFC Secure your spot and accommodations NOW, to avoid late registration rates starting September 1! In an era where wildfires are both more frequent and intense, the 2024 Colorado Wildland Fire Conference will focus on meeting the challenges of our… learn more >

Those of us who are passionate about wildfire mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery have heard it time and time again, the phrase it’s not if, but when. It means that a thing is certain to happen, but you don’t know when. As wildfire resilience leaders, we are on the front lines of knowing that destructive wildfires… learn more >

This Wildfire Awareness Month, we are encouraged by our on-the-ground Wildfire Community Preparedness Day projects, through a $10,000 award from the National Fire Protection Association® supported by State Farm®. There is also good news from Round Two Funding through Community Wildfire Defense Grant Awards, which gained much-needed traction in Colorado this award cycle. USDA awards… learn more >

As the calendar flips to May, the arrival of Wildfire Community Preparedness Day and Wildfire Awareness Month serves as a poignant reminder for Coloradans. In a state where living with wildfire has become a year-round reality, proactive measures are essential to mitigate risks and safeguard communities against the growing threat of wildfires. Spearheaded by the… learn more >

By: Lisa Hatfield and Lara Thomas Wouldn’t it be great to have more everyday people encouraging their neighbors to make their properties safer and more resilient to wildfire? How can we effectively convey to more Colorado residents that “mitigation is a lifestyle”? That’s the goal of the Spring 2024 FACO Wildfire Neighborhood Ambassador Orientation for volunteers.… learn more >

Byline: Poudre Canyon FPD contributor, Maya Daurio As wildfires increase in size, severity, and frequency, more and more communities across Colorado will experience wildfire, smoke from wildfires, and post-wildfire flooding. The upper Cache la Poudre Canyon community in northern Colorado, a rural, unincorporated area in the Poudre Canyon Fire Protection District, was severely impacted by… learn more >

Ellis Thompson Grand Junction Fire & Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition This Annual Report highlights 2023 as a year of growth and service by Fire Adapted Colorado. In this report: Learn how network participation has rapidly expanded and review participants’ expressions of the impacts of engagement on their local wildfire resilience work. Get a snapshot of… learn more >

The Fire Adapted Colorado Wildfire Resilience Opportunity Fund played a crucial role in supporting participants within the FACO network again in 2023. With the support of BLM Colorado, Colorado State Forest Service, and the Argosy Foundation, microgrants were offered to spur member projects, fill critical funding gaps, and accomplish projects that benefit beyond a specific… learn more >

With an emphasis on prescribed fire, The Ember Alliance, Fire Adapted Colorado, and the Colorado Prescribed Fire Council, with funding support from the US DOI Bureau of Land Management, have just published a web-based resource for a Smoke Ready Colorado. The web-based campaign provides resources to protect yourself when there is smoke in the air,… learn more >

Themes from the Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Workshop in Santa Fe, NM Rebecca Samulski, Executive Director Fire Adapted Colorado The 6th annual National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Workshop took place in Santa Fe, NM, in November, drawing over 300 participants from across North America. Notably, 27 of Colorado’s wildfire resilience leaders from organizations such as… learn more >

Fire Adapted Colorado is seeking a motivated fundraiser and grant writer to serve as a Development Director and to become part of our team that helps Coloradans navigate wildfire resilience now and into the future. This role will require a passion for FACO’s mission, fundraising, grant writing expertise, and the ability to assist a diverse… learn more >

Byline: FACO Training & Network Specialist Lara Thomas I found myself amid the bustling Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference poster session amongst a myriad of engaging presentations on watershed conservation issues, each vying for attention when I encountered Lauren Magliozzi (PhD Candidate at the University of Colorado Boulder, Environmental Engineering Program), whose nontraditional approach immediately captured… learn more >

It’s an understatement to simply say that social dynamics are a critical part of fire management, and one aspect critical to improving outcomes is understanding how internal organizational factors interact with external social factors. As wildfire resilience leaders, our interactions with the public are one way we tell the story, offering us an opportunity to… learn more >

“Community resilience is the sustainability of a community to use available resources to respond to, withstand and recover from adverse situations.” (Wikipedia) “To withstand” wildfires and other disasters and become a truly resilient Colorado requires a paradigm shift. It requires engagement in risk reduction at all levels. National Level At the national level, the Columbia… learn more >

I was recently immersed in Stephen Pyne’s Pyrocene, when adaptive management strategies that include an intentional patchwork of crown-fire burning in boreal forests caught my attention as fires across Canada are altering landscapes, devastating communities, and inundating much of North America with smoke. Despite often feeling behind in effort to live with fire and smoke,… learn more >

Tracy LeClair – PIO1/PIOC, CO-CEM® Communications & Outreach Specialist Wildland Fire Management Section Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control   Live Wildfire Ready is a new campaign in Colorado designed to inform homeowners about what they can do to mitigate wildfire risk to their life, home and property. The campaign is funded by the State of Colorado and… learn more >

This year’s Colorado Wildland Fire Conference is sold out with over 300 registrants and 36 exhibitor spaces. After many long months of planning, the 2023 Conference planning team is bringing the largest Colorado Wildland Fire Conference in state history, to Fort Collins, Colorado, April 10th-14th. Connecting to Colorado’s Network for Wildfire Resilience, as well as… learn more >

Exemplary Commitment to Community Wildfire Risk Reduction  Eagle County, Colorado The IAFC Wildfire Mitigation Awards committee has named one individual and one organization to receive it’s 2023 Wildfire Mitigation Awards. This year’s recipients happen to both be from Eagle County, Colorado, where their coordinated efforts have earned them “the highest commendation for innovation and leadership in wildfire mitigation.”… learn more >

Fire Adapted Colorado and our membership of wildfire resilience leaders in Colorado are growing in tandem. In the past several years, wildfire collaborative groups have coalesced around the state. New(ish) groups include the Routt County Wildfire Council, Clear Creek Watershed Forest Health Partnership, Boulder Fireshed Collaborative, Four Rivers Resilient Forest Collaborative, Eagle County Wildfire Collaborative… learn more >

BY REBECCAFIREADAPTEDCOORG ON DECEMBER 14, 2022 It’s been nearly a year since the Marshall fire caused unprecedented wildfire destruction in Boulder County.  Only two years ago the East Troublesome Fire destroyed 366 homes, Calwood 23 homes, and the Cameron Peak Fire outgrew the Pine Gulch Fire as the two largest recorded fires in Colorado, both in the same… learn more >

Building Your FAC Ambassador Approach Workshop Boulder, COFeb. 27 full dayFeb. 28, 1/2 dayCost: $40 Apply to attendApply to attend Fire Adapted Colorado, Wildfire Adapted Partnership, and Boulder Watershed Collective are hosting a “Building a FAC Ambassador Approach” workshop in Boulder on February 27-28, 2023. Through a FAC Ambassador approach, practitioners can empower local residents… learn more >

      Registration for the Colorado Wildland Fire Conference in Fort Collins April 10-14 is now open!     www.wildfire-colorado.com    Early bird registration is $325 / $275 after FACO member $50 discount code     Register now! Rates will increase to $375 beginning January 16th     The optional Poudre Watershed Tour, on… learn more >

FACO network members, the Spanish Peaks Alliance for Wildfire Protection (SPAWP) hosted a Summer Community Education and Training Program, including a community-wide meeting on August 27th, at the Cuchara Community Center in Cuchara Village. A packed house of concerned citizens and Firewise community leaders were present, along with a host of collaborating agencies who reported on their efforts… learn more >

March 22, 2022 FACO Members take WMA Honors Paul Cada and Schelly Olson, 2022 WMA award winners from Colorado The 2022 Wildfire Mitigation Award (WMA) winners were announced this week and included two of our own: Fire Adapted Colorado members - Paul Cada (Town of Vail) and Schelly Olson (Grand County Wildfire Council). The two… learn more >

This NPR article features Fire Adapted Colorado’s Board Chair and Eagle County, Colorado Wildfire Mitigation Coordinator, Eric Lovgren, sharing about their RealFire Program

This story highlights the efforts to leverage neighborhood volunteers to lead wildfire preparedness. Wildfire Mitigation Professionals and neighborhood leaders across Colorado and the country are building upon the model of Wildfire Adapted Partnership Neighborhood Ambassadors (southwest CO).

This story shares how adapting to COVID-19 resembles the strategy for adapting to wildfire.

Vail Fire’s Paul Cada shares about his 2019 FAC experience and gives a salute to the year ahead. Paul is on the board of Fire Adapted Colorado.