A wildland fire ignited in a residential neighborhood in Elizabeth on Feb. 27, 2026, in the open space area of the Gold Creek Subdivision near several homes. A wildfire that could have rapidly spread and endangered lives and multiple homes was instead quickly contained thanks to forest management work recently completed on 15 acres of adjacent common space. When the fire reached the Gold Creek HOA treatment boundary, the flames dropped to the surface, and firefighters were able to contain the fire.
This success story didn’t just happen; Colorado State Forest Service foresters, vigilant neighborhoods, the Elizabeth Fire Protection District, and other partners had to work together to reduce the wildfire risk in the area.
Chief TJ Steck of the Elizabeth Fire Protection District summarized the positive impact of joint mitigation efforts on the fire by saying, “The fire’s behavior within the open space of the Gold Creek subdivision was significantly reduced due to the subdivision’s proactive mitigation efforts. These measures limited fire spread and intensity, allowing firefighters to gain control more quickly and operate more safely.”
Elizabeth Fire worked with the CSFS Franktown Field Office to apply for a Forest Restoration and Wildfire Risk Mitigation Grant for properties within the Elizabeth Fire Protection District boundaries, and funding was awarded in spring 2025. This was the first FRWRM grant approved in Elbert County.
“Seeing the impact of forestry work in real time, essentially saving homes and other structures, is incredibly fulfilling,” said Currie Nowell, forester in the Franktown Field Office who worked on the project. “When neighborhoods and communities work together to reduce wildfire risk, we see real progress that ideally can be replicated in other parts of the wildland-urban interface.”
The grant includes landowners and HOAs within The Pines, Gambel Oaks, Bonnie Ridge, Saddlewood, and Gold Creek communities who wanted defensible space, fire mitigation, and forest health improvement treatments implemented on their properties. Nowell, with guidance from Supervisory Forester Spencer Weston, developed a scope of work, and work began in early fall 2025.
“The Board was proud to support the mitigation grant process as a proactive step to protect our community,” said Gold Creek Valley Board of Directors. “With Colorado’s increasingly hot and dry conditions, these efforts are more important than ever. Seeing firsthand how these measures helped limit the impact of the February 27 fire reinforces the importance of continued investment in wildfire mitigation, community safety and due diligence.”
With the FRWRM grant funding, multiple landowner properties and community open spaces have been treated for wildfire risk reduction and overall forest health improvement. Removing the dense fuels and vegetation as well as dried grasses across the nearly 15 acres of common space kept the February fire from spreading and threatening nearby structures.
The grant still has some funding left for additional project areas within the Elizabeth Fire Protection District. Read more information and apply for the grant.
About the Forest Restoration and Wildfire Risk Mitigation grant program
Since 2017, the State of Colorado has funded the Forest Restoration and Wildfire Risk Mitigation grant program to assist communities and groups across Colorado reduce their wildfire risk and promote forest health. This competitive grant program has a matching requirement, either through cash or in-kind contributions. The application period is open from August to October, and final awards are announced the following March. Awardees have four years to complete the project. To date, the program has awarded funds for 312 projects on more than 30,000 acres of planned treatments, plus capacity building efforts to provide communities with equipment and staffing necessary to plan and implement future fuels and forest health projects.
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