Lone Tree Community Wildfire Protection Plan
Lone Tree and surrounding areas contain grasses, open spaces, and homes in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). The WUI, or area of transition between unoccupied land and human development, poses wildfire risk and unique challenges for responding agencies.
In an era where wildfire risks are intensifying across the American West, the City of Lone Tree has proactively developed a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), approved by the State and adopted by City Council on May 6, 2025. The CWPP was developed through a collaborative process with regional wildfire experts and stakeholders, to identify and prioritize measures to mitigate risk and help further community preparedness. Its core mission is to provide a detailed assessment of wildfire risks and actionable strategies at the community-, neighborhood-, and individual property-levels to help protect homes and the potential effects of wildfire. Members of the community are encouraged to understand their risk and take action.
Preparing for a Wildfire
Stay informed!
Use the following links to stay informed about wildfire risk where you live.
Protect Your Home
There are two primary determinants of a home’s ability to survive a wildfire: the quality of the defensible space and a structure’s ignitability. Together, these two factors create a concept called the Home Ignition Zone (HIZ), which includes the structure and the space immediately surrounding the structure. The condition of the HIZ principally determines the potential for structure ignitions during a wildfire. Learn more about the Home Ignition Zone at this link.
Zone 1, the immediate 5-foot area around a structure, is one of the most critical elements for protecting a home from wildfire. This area should be clear of debris and combustible material, such as mulch, propane grills, and wooden or wicker patio furniture and cushions. This also includes vegetation and trees, such as junipers, that are highly flammable and capable of quick, intense fires.
The reason quality defensible space is so important – particularly Zone 1 – is because most structures ignite from flying embers during wildfire. Embers are burning chunks that can travel extensive distances with strong wind; even pea-sized embers can start fires if they land on anything flammable, including things like dead leaves in nooks and crannies of homes or decks. Eliminating or reducing fuels and ignition sources within the 5-foot area around a home help decrease the risk of anything catching on fire, and thereby reduce the potential for the fire to spread to the home.
Proactive Steps to Mitigate Wildfire Risk to Your Property
- Remove debris and anything that could easily ignite from at least 5 feet around your home
- Remove junipers near homes or along fence lines
- Clear gutters and roof valleys of pine needles, leaves, and debris
- Opt for low-flammability landscape plants
- Mow grasses regularly; keep grass short and well-watered to hinder the spread of flames
- Space out trees and shrubs from each other and from the exterior of your home, making it harder for flames to travel
- Ensure your roof meets fire-resistant standards
- Don’t leave flammable material such as trash, lawn furniture, or propane tanks against your home’s exterior or under decks
Neighborhood-Wide Protection
When it comes to wildfire, your home’s safety doesn’t stop at your property line. Even if your home is well-prepared, one unprotected property nearby can become the ignition point that puts the entire block at risk. Wildfire resilience is a team effort. Protecting a single home is good, but protecting the whole neighborhood is far better.
Neighborhoods and HOAs should work together to implement neighborhood-wide measures to increase the collective level of protection. Some examples may include:
- Establish a Neighborhood Ambassadors Program
- Host neighborhood-wide ‘Wildfire Mitigation Days’
- Encourage all residents to use fire-resistant or noncombustible roofing, siding, decks, and fencing
- Use low-flammability plants in common areas and along property borders
- Share tools or otherwise supporting fuel-reduction activities.
DougCo Alert
DougCo Alert is a critical communication tool used by the City of Lone Tree and Douglas County to quickly disseminate urgent information to residents and businesses in the event of emergencies.
Residents and businesses – including all applicable members of a household or employees of a Lone Tree business – are strongly encouraged to sign up for DougCo Alert to receive alerts tailored to their location. Registration is free. To learn more and sign up for DougCo Alert, visit dougcoalert.com.
Preparing for a Wildfire -OG KEEP
Here are some proactive steps you can take to mitigate risk to your safety and property right now:
- Sign up for DougCoAlert – Douglas County’s Reverse 911 system that alerts users of emergencies in the area
- Clear gutters and roof valleys of pine needles, leaves, and debris
- Mow grasses regularly; keep grass short and well-watered to hinder the spread of flames
- Space out trees and shrubs from each other and from the exterior of your home, making it harder for flames to travel
- If you have a wooden roof, improve it with fire-resistant ceramic tiles, slate or composite shingles, or metal sheets
- Don’t leave flammable material such as trash, lawn furniture, or propane tanks against the exterior of your home or under decks
Stay informed!
Use the following links to stay informed about wildfire risk where you live.
South Metro Fire Rescue Resources
South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR) provides fire response services to the City of Lone Tree, and the SMFR Community Risk Reduction team is committed to helping community members prepare homes for wildfire. SMFR provides wildfire resources and tools, including the SMFR Emergency Preparedness Guide , designed to provide homeowners with a comprehensive toolkit for preparing for wildfires and mitigating wildfire’s impact to their homes.
Wildfire Preparedness Resources
Properly Insure Your Home Against Wildfire
Insurance Resources
In response to the growing insurance challenges faced by Colorado homeowners and HOAs, the Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI) developed the Toolkit for Homeowners and HOAs on Insurance that provides information to help people better understand the current issues, recent work by the Colorado Legislature, and various actions homeowners and HOAs can take in response to recent challenges in the market.
Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code
In April 2026, the Lone Tree City Council adopted the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code and the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code Map. This adoption implements action items identified in the City’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan and ensures the City is compliant with state requirements for wildfire mitigation. The code is intended to mitigate the risk to life and structures from wildfires and fire exposures from adjacent structures. The code also reduces the possibility of structure fires from spreading to open space lands.
The Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code applies to any properties mapped as low, moderate, or high fire intensity on the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code Map. The Code requires new development and certain expansions and improvements to existing buildings to adhere to fire hardening requirements for structures and, in some cases, for sites (e.g. to remove or maintain landscaping). Please review the following code materials and consult the Planning Division at 720-509-1180 with any questions concerning the application of these regulations.