Your Year-Round Wildfire Prep Calendar: What to Do When

In Colorado, wildfire season isn't a season — it's year-round. Here's your month-by-month guide to staying ahead of wildfire risk.

In Colorado, wildfire season isn't a season — it's a year-round reality. The 416 Fire started in June. The Marshall Fire burned in December. Fires have ignited in Colorado during every month of the year.

But while the threat is constant, the work isn't. Wildfire preparedness follows natural rhythms — seasonal cycles that dictate when certain tasks are most effective, most urgent, or simply possible to complete.

Here's your month-by-month guide to staying ahead of wildfire risk, every season of the year.

January: Plan and Prepare

Fire Season Status: Low activity but never zero risk

Primary Focus: Planning and assessment

Time Commitment: 4-8 hours

January is when wildfire mitigation contractors are most available and often offer best pricing. It's also when homeowners can think strategically rather than react frantically.

Critical Tasks:

• Schedule professional property assessment for spring
• Review insurance policies (coverage, deductibles, documentation requirements)
• Update home inventory with photos/video
• Check evacuation go bags and replace expired items
• Review family evacuation plan
• Get contractor quotes while they're not slammed
• Budget for year's mitigation work

March: Spring Mitigation Begins

Fire Season Status: Risk increasing, red flag days possible

Primary Focus: Beginning major mitigation work

Time Commitment: 12-20 hours

March is the sweet spot for wildfire mitigation in Colorado. Contractors are mobilized but not yet overwhelmed. Weather is improving but trees haven't leafed out. You have time before peak fire season.

Critical Tasks:

• Tree removal (before nesting season begins April 15)
• Large pruning projects
• Zone 1 work — Clear all winter debris, install rock mulch, remove violating shrubs
• Home hardening — Install ember-resistant vents, seal gaps
• Complete structural repairs before fire season

April: Deadline and Activation

Fire Season Status: Active fire season begins

Primary Focus: CWRC compliance deadline, final preparations

Time Commitment: 8-16 hours

April 1st is the CWRC compliance deadline. After this date, non-compliant properties may face insurance issues, you're in reactive mode, contractors are booked solid, and fire risk is high and climbing.

Critical Tasks:

• Ensure all CWRC-required work is complete
• Document compliance with photos
• Prepare compliance report for insurance
• Test evacuation plan
• Sign up for emergency alerts

May-August: Active Fire Season Maintenance

Fire Season Status: Peak fire season

Primary Focus: Maintenance and vigilance

Time Commitment: 4-8 hours weekly

Summer isn't the time for major projects — it's time for constant vigilance and maintenance. Fire risk is at its highest, and red flag warnings are frequent.

Weekly Tasks:

• Mow grass (every 5-7 days during growth)
• Clear pine needles from roof and gutters
• Remove dead vegetation immediately
• Water defensible space plantings
• Check for dead or dying trees (bark beetles active)

Red Flag Day Protocol:

• No outdoor burning
• No spark-producing yard work
• Extra watering of Zone 1
• Review evacuation plan with family
• Keep go bags accessible

September-October: Fall Intensification

Fire Season Status: Often the most dangerous period

Primary Focus: Increased maintenance, fall prep

Time Commitment: 8-12 hours weekly

Colorado's most destructive fires often occur in fall. Vegetation is driest after summer. Humidity is low. Wind events are common. First cold snaps kill remaining vegetation.

Critical Tasks:

• Heavy needle drop season — Clear needles and leaves 2-3 times per week
• Keep roof and gutters completely clear
• Final mowing before dormancy
• Cut back dead perennials
• Document year's work with photos
• Plan next year's projects

November-December: Winter Preparation

Fire Season Status: Lower but never zero risk

Primary Focus: Final clearing, winter prep, planning

Time Commitment: 4-8 hours

Winter fires are rare but catastrophic when they occur (see Marshall Fire, December 30, 2021). Winter is also planning season for next year.

Critical Tasks:

• Complete final needle/leaf clearing
• Clear roof and gutters before snow
• Review year's accomplishments
• Identify next year's priorities
• Budget for next year's work

The Bottom Line

Wildfire preparedness isn't a project with an end date — it's a maintenance commitment that cycles through the year. Each season has its priorities, its opportunities, and its dangers.

The families whose homes survive wildfires aren't those who did one big mitigation project. They're the ones who work the seasonal cycle consistently, maintain their properties year-round, plan ahead rather than react, and document their efforts systematically.

Start where you are. Follow the calendar. Build the habit. Your future self — and your home — will thank you.