We can’t outrun wildfire with evacuation alone
Ali Hammond, Guest Commentary
Evacuation is a hot topic right now.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone in the Aspen community that a worst-case wildfire evacuation during peak summer tourism season could be devastating. Evacuation modeling by tech company, Ladris AI, reiterates this concern, estimating full evacuation times at around 14-plus hours.
Wildfires are inherently chaotic — with shifting winds, thick smoke and ember showers (imagine a hailstorm of fiery pinecones). Panic, chaos and bumper-to-bumper traffic could trap people attempting to evacuate, conjuring up terrifying images of the Lahaina, Paradise and Palisades wildfires from recent memory. Community leaders are faced with the paradox of planning for an unpredictable event.
Thoughtful evacuation planning can help prevent catastrophic loss of life, which is why Aspen’s Community Wildfire Resilience team supports efficient egress. Unfortunately, evacuation is not a simple fix-all solution to keep our town safe. Evacuation is a critical piece of the puzzle but does not resolve our collective wildfire preparedness problem.
Aspen Fire’s Wildfire Resilience division is working to proactively reduce the destructive consequences of wildfire. Our goal here is to foster engagement around wildfire preparedness beyond the politically and emotionally charged “entrance to Aspen” debate. If we focus solely on our means of escape, we risk overlooking catastrophic loss of our community’s homes, businesses and natural resources.
After an evacuation, we want to have a community still standing to come home to.
Let’s move beyond those worst-case scenarios and the communities that lost everything and turn instead to those that survived. You may have seen photos of miracle houses or a lucky culdesac surrounded by ash and rubble. What do these places have in common? They are “hardened” buildings with “defensible space.” They are homes and communities that adapted to living with fire.
You’ve already imagined the worst-case scenario. I wonder, have you imagined what the best-case scenario might look like? What if our neighborhoods were designed to withstand wildfire? At some point in the future, could the best wildfire plan be not evacuating at all?
If wildfire resilience is Aspen’s shared goal, then we need to consider the bigger picture, including but not limited to our evacuation routes. Proactive, holistic organization before a wildfire can adapt our community to living with fire, so all is not lost after the flames.
What could a fire-adapted Aspen look like?
Buildings themselves function as wildfire shelters; every building has a 0-5 foot minimum zone cleared of flammables, and new construction uses fire-resistant materials.
Landscaping consists of native, drought tolerant, fire-resilient species.
Local ecosystems undergo prescribed fire and restoration treatments regularly, improving the landscape for wildlife and reducing high-intensity wildfire danger.
Neighbors take care of each other, unifying to accomplish shared risk-reduction goals like routine brush cleanup.
Homeowner insurance rates are reasonable, and people aren’t worried about losing coverage.
Firefighters have enough space, both in wildlands and throughout communities, to safely defend against wildfires.
Evacuation paths are a last resort, while supplemental bike bridges and open spaces provide crowds a means to seek refuge as an alternative to vehicle traffic.
Our community is already doing so much (aspenfire.com/our-wildfire-work) and we need to do so much more. We must continue to address this complex issue from every possible angle. Yes, that means local, state and federal agencies working together. It means stewardship of vulnerable ecosystems and critical consideration of our evacuation options.
But the most significant impact to reduce catastrophic loss comes at the individual and neighborhood levels. Let’s leverage our collective power to turn our fears into grassroots action. Use the resources of Aspen Wildfire Foundation and the Roaring Fork Valley Wildfire Collaborative. Together, we can create a community ready to withstand fire — not just flee from it. After a fire, we want to see our community still standing strong.
Ali Hammond is director of Community Wildfire Resilience in the Aspen Fire Protection District. She also is director of the Aspen Wildfire Foundation and chair of the Roaring Fork Valley Wildfire Collaborative.Get involved in home hardening, home ignition zones and landscape-scale preparedness today by contacting ali.hammond@aspenfire.com or angie@rfvwildfire.org.
Ali Hammond is director of Community Wildfire Resilience in the Aspen Fire Protection District