A tour of subdivisions affected by the 2012 Weber fire showed the aftermath of scorched earth and flood damage.

But it also showed how mitigation before a wildfire hits can save homes and property.

Most of the 25 homeowners in the Elk Spring and Elk Stream neighborhoods in East Canyon had done some clearing and thinning around their homes before June 22, 2012, when a fast-moving-wildfire engulfed Menefee Mountain. Fireworks and six weeks of hot, dry weather led to the blaze.

"I honestly thought a fire would never happen, but I'm glad I was prepared when it did," said resident Linda Walters.

She and husband Philip have become neighborhood leaders in the effort to protect homes from wildfires. A earlier study showed the subdivisions, southeast of Mancos, were vulnerable.

"We were ground zero. Firefighters were saying it would be crazy to go in there," Philip said. "Fire is a good motivator."

During the Weber fire, Walters and other residents evacuated. When they returned, their homes were still standing, some with fire lines just yards away.

The neighborhood did many things right, as was showcased during a tour organized by Firewise of Montezuma County.

Access and information for emergency crews were also critical. At the subdivision entrance off Mancos Hill, a metal tube includes maps and phone numbers.

"As we evacuated, we saw fire crews looking at our maps before driving in," Philip said. "We helped them help us."

Good roads and turn-around driveways helped firefighters by making their job easier.

"The more it looks possible to save a home, with thinning and good access for equipment, the better chance your home will be saved," said Kent Grant, of Colorado State Forest Service. "Otherwise, they'll drive by to the property that has made the effort."

Wildfire urban interface zones like Elk Springs are eligible for fire mitigation grants. The neighborhood works collectively to apply and do the work.

"It takes negotiations," said resident Odin Christensen. "At first, some people think their woods will be totally clear-cut and resist it. But when they see how thinning creates a mosaic of meadows and woods, more like an open-space park, they say, 'I want that!'"

Deer and wild turkeys love the open ground. So the coyotes that prey on them, a scene witnessed during the tour.

Lack of thinning on surrounding BLM land was a concern for residents. Much of the public land has Wilderness Study Area status, which prohibits use of chain saws and heavy equipment needed for significant thinning.

"The fire ran really hot in the WSA, forcing it closer to our subdivision," Walters said. "The BLM land here needs more prescribed burns to decrease fuel density."

Extremely hot wildfires also cauterize topsoil, making them hydrophobic. The result is less absorption, increased runoff and flooding.

The subdivision's Homeowners Association has spent more than $60,000 fixing up the main subdivision road from flood damage. And the effort is ongoing every year the monsoons come.

"The first rain after the fire was average, but its effects were multiplied from the fire and soils that could not absorb it. We had 4 feet of water flowing across here, causing a lot of damage," Walters said.

Both sides of the road are heavily cleared to prevent the fire from jumping the road.

"If it went over, it could have easily made it up the next heavily wooded ridge, down to Cherry Creek and beyond," said Rebecca Samulski, of Firewise.

Landscaping is part of living in the wildfire interface. Avoid woodchips next to the home or deck, for example.

"While you're evacuated, embers hit the chips, smolder, spread to the deck, and the whole house goes up," said Grant.

Insurance in the wildfire-prone West is becoming tougher to come by. Samulski said California is offering 10 percent insurance discounts for homes to create buffer zones, and Colorado is considering following suit.

A fire does not have to be a direct hit to threaten a neighborhood, warns Philip Walters.

"What inspired me to act even more was during the 2000 Bircher fire (on Mesa Verde) I heard what sounded like rain on my roof, but it was actually fire embers blowing over from the fire," Walters said.

jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com