Adam Moore works hard to help Colorado residents live with and prepare for wildfire. As the supervisory forester in the Alamosa Field Office of the Colorado State Forest Service, Moore contributed to the WiRē (Wildfire Research) Approach that earned a 2024 Governor’s Award for High-Impact Research.
What is WiRē?
The innovative WiRē Approach pairs on-the-ground, professional assessment of a home’s wildfire risk to the homeowners’ understanding of their risk. Researchers, foresters and trained interns go through a checklist of 13 items in four main categories to rate the wildfire risk of a specific property while the property resident completes a social survey that measures the resident’s perspectives on wildfire risk. The survey also asks how residents prefer to receive information and who they trust for information about wildfire and wildfire risk.
Scientists at the USDA Forest Service, the US Geological Survey, the University of Colorado and the Wildfire Research Center teamed up with foresters and wildland fire specialists in several Colorado communities to complete the assessments and surveys. So far, they’ve completed the process in 15-20 locations across Colorado.
Moore played a key role in sourcing funds from a University of Colorado grant that allowed WiRē to expand into Leadville. He had seen the success and results of a WiRē project in Chaffee County in 2019-2020, so Moore was inspired to help move WiRē into Leadville in Lake County. With the secured grant funding, Moore then worked with staff and interns from the Salida Field Office to make sure the assessments were completed. WiRē named Moore its Partner of the Year in 2023 for these endeavors to advance community wildfire adaptation.
How does WiRē benefit Colorado communities?
Communities benefit from the WiRē approach in multiple ways. Since all the residential properties in a community are assessed for risk, the process can help identify ways to better safeguard homes from wildfire. Community groups such as homeowner associations and partnerships can use the data when applying for wildfire mitigation grants. For example, the Arkansas River Watershed Collaborative received a Forest Restoration and Wildfire Risk Mitigation grant that funded a chipper program for their area.
“Each Colorado community is unique and has different needs for wildfire mitigation,” Moore said. “The WiRē approach provides actionable, specific data to individuals and their communities so they can take immediate steps to reduce the risk of wildfire to their homes and neighborhoods.”
About Governor’s Awards for High-Impact Research
Since 2009, the annual Governor’s Awards for High-Impact Research recognizes the achievements of federally funded laboratories and institutions that worked with at least three other agencies to improve the lives of Coloradans. Awardees are invited to attend a reception at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on Nov. 20, 2024.