A wildfire scorched 240 acres in the Eagle foothills on Monday, coming dangerously close to homes in the Eagle neighborhood. The blaze, which started due to nearby construction, forced residents to evacuate as firefighters worked to contain the flames. A car was burned, and a firefighter was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
"The fire was caused due to some construction going on in the area," said Kobie Woolf, Eagle Fire Department Deputy Fire Marshal.
Despite the close call, some residents were prepared for the threat of wildfires in their community.
"The homes up in that specific neighborhood are in what we call a Wildland Urban Interface zone," said Woolf.
Woolf explained that many residents had taken important precautions by removing flammable materials, limiting vegetation, and following other guidelines around their homes. These proactive measures helped slow the wildfire's spread and gave first responders crucial time to protect the neighborhood.
Watch to see the latest update on the Eagle Foothills vegetation fire.
Elise Baker, who lives in the affected area, described the tense moments as the fire approached.
"I was in my house. I had gotten home from school, and my mom told me there was a fire up at our neighbor's house, and so we came out, we were watching it and making sure it wasn't coming over," Baker said.
With flames closing in on their property, Baker's family immediately took action to protect their pasture where they grow and sell hay. While the fire wasn't completely visible from their house, firefighters faced significant challenges in the rural area.
"I know they were using hoses, but I know they didn't have a lot of water since we don't have fire hydrants up here, since we're like not in the city limits," Baker said.
Despite these obstacles, Woolf praised both the community's quick response and the dedication of firefighters who responded to the emergency.
"With some outstanding work from our firefighters, all across the Valley, we were able to get the fire contained with no losses to any structures," Woolf said.
The Eagle Fire Department defines defensible space as a buffer between your home and the surrounding property that helps slow the progress of fire by removing flammable material and vegetation.
To properly protect your home, the department recommends a three-zone approach:
- 0 to 5 feet: Maintain no flammable material or vegetation within 5 feet of your home.
- 5 to 30 feet: Keep low-cut and maintained vegetation, use flame-resistant patio. furniture, and ensure tree canopies are more than 10 feet from structures.
- 30 to 100 feet: Reduce ladder fuels by limbing trees, removing all dead vegetation, and thinning existing vegetation.
For homeowners interested in a free Wildland home assessment, Eagle County offers evaluations to help residents who live inside the wildland urban interface. You can visit REALFire.net
