Wildfire risk in Garfield and Mesa Counties is among the highest in Colorado. Years of drought, rising temperatures and increased fuel loads have made the Middle Colorado River watershed increasingly vulnerable. The Colorado River Wildfire Collaborative (CRWC) exists to reduce wildfire risk through coordinated, cross-boundary mitigation, preparedness and resilience efforts. The work protects lives, property, our watersheds and the regional landscapes we depend on.
Protect your home, property or neighborhood
Free Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) Assessment
Sam Feuerborn, Colorado River Wildfire Collaborative Program Manager
A Home Ignition Zone assessment evaluates the area immediately surrounding your home, the zone most likely to determine whether your house survives a wildfire. Sam Feuerborn, the CRWC Program Manager for the Middle Colorado Watershed Council, will visit your property, identify specific vulnerabilities and provide a confidential personalized action plan at no cost to you.
Schedule Your Free Assessment with Sam here. Questions? Email Sam here.
Defensible Space & Fuel Reduction Support
Sam Feuerborn assessing vegetation and fuel loads near a home's foundation during a HIZ evaluation.
We help landowners, HOAs, and rural neighborhoods develop and implement defensible space plans. Reducing vegetation and fuel loads around structures in ways that slow fire spread and give firefighters a safer working environment.
Community Preparedness Resources
From evacuation planning to emergency alert registration, we connect community members with the resources, education, and partner agencies needed to be truly fire-ready, not just fire-aware.
Our Work on the Ground
Cross-Boundary Mitigation Projects
Wildfire doesn't respect property lines or county boundaries. That's why CRWC coordinates mitigation work across public and private lands simultaneously. Each project involves researching land ownership, identifying infrastructure and water supplies at risk, and prioritizing treatment areas based on community needs.
Current and proposed projects:
Wallace Creek & Table Top Mesa — Garfield County
Alkali Creek & De Beque Ridge — Mesa County
500 acres of Grass Mesa — Garfield County
150 acres near Helmer Gulch
2,500 acres in the Battlement Mesa Area
Mitigation on leased lands near Conn Creek
Wild Horse Habitat Northwest of De Beque
South Rifle Habitat Enhancement Project
Beyond Fire Prevention
Many of our project areas overlap with critical wildlife habitat, including big game winter range. Our work also addresses post-fire risks including flooding, debris flows, and soil damage, that can devastate communities and water supplies long after flames are out.
Who we are
The Colorado River Wildfire Collaborative was formed in November 2022 by local stakeholders along the Middle Colorado River corridor. More than 20 partner organizations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing to cross-boundary collaboration, including Garfield and Mesa Counties, the cities of Rifle and Glenwood Springs, local towns, five fire protection districts, the U.S. Forest Service White River National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Forest Service, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Our goal is to return the landscape to a more natural, resilient state while protecting the communities, infrastructure, agriculture, and water supplies that this region depends on.
Ready to take the first step toward protecting your home?
Join the growing number of homeowners taking action across Garfield and Mesa Counties. Get Your Free Home Ignition Zone Assessment by contacting Colorado River Wildfire Collaborative program manager Sam Feuerborn.
More Information & Resources
The Middle Colorado Watershed Council also completed a Wildfire Ready Action Plan to identify community values-at-risk (VARs) vulnerable to post-fire flooding and debris flows. For additional information about the collaborative, view our Memorandum of Understanding.