Golden Fire Department Fire Chief Jerry Stricker said a lot of things have changed since the city’s original Community Wildfire Protection Plan was made public in May of 2007, and he’s asking Golden City Council to endorse a much-needed update.

While most of the 14-year-old plan still applies today, it was based on best practices and information known at that time.

During a Jan. 18 Golden City Council study session, Stricker and representatives from Anchor Point, the contractor selected to develop the updates, presented the 2021 Community Wildfire Protection Plan Update to the original 2007 plan.

The CWPP provides a framework to address community wildfire risks and relies a great deal on community involvement and city interdepartmental coordination

A memo from Stricker to council states the 2012 Waldo Canyon fire, among others, has informed the fire service and insurance industry on best practices based on lessons learned, thus prompting GFD to recognize the need to make updates as well.

Based on new data and lessons learned since the 2007 plan, Stricker told city council he’s not sure that plan would adequately address events of a large-scale fire in Golden.

The 2021 update presents the results of a study focused on areas of the highest residential density and deals primarily with life safety and structural ignitability.

Specific areas discussed in the study include Golden North, North Table Mountain, Canyon Point, The Junction, Beverly Heights, South Table Mountain, Golden Southwest, Rooney Road, Red Rocks and Table Mountain Parkway.

The 2021 Community Wildfire Protection Plan Update is a supplement to—and not a replacement of—the 2007 plan.

The plan, along with the study and appendices, is available for review online at cityofgolden.net.

For more information, contact Fire Chief Jerry Stricker, jstricker@cityofgolden.net.