Community Wildfire Protection Plan Development

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Golden is nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains, mesas and grasslands, giving residents the convenience of urban life with almost immediate access to wildlands. Areas where homes and other development meet or intermingle with wildland vegetation are known as the wildland-urban interface (WUI). These areas present unique wildfire risks and require coordinated planning among property owners, the City, fire agencies, and regional partners.

CWPP Purpose

The Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is the City of Golden’s long-term framework for understanding wildfire risk and identifying actions that can help protect people, property, and natural resources. In 2026, the City of Golden is undertaking a comprehensive rewrite of the CWPP.

Background

Golden first adopted a CWPP in 2007 and completed a major update in 2021. The updated plan will build on the work completed since 2021 while incorporating new data, current wildfire science, updated mapping, and lessons learned from wildfire planning and response across the region. The process will also provide an opportunity to evaluate how wildfire risk has changed and identify priorities for future mitigation, preparedness, evacuation planning, and community education.

Goals

Golden's wildfire preparedness work focuses on three key strategies:

  • Mitigation: Reducing the likelihood that homes, other structures, and community assets will ignite during a wildfire. This includes home-hardening measures, defensible space, thoughtful landscaping and outdoor storage practices, vegetation management, and larger-scale mitigation projects on public and private lands.
  • Notification and Preparedness: Ensuring community members understand their wildfire risk, know how to prepare before an emergency, and can receive timely information when one occurs. Residents are encouraged to register for LookoutAlert Emergency Notifications and become familiar with other emergency preparedness resources listed on the City of Golden Wildfire Ready webpage.
  • Evacuation: Planning and coordinating how neighborhoods can safely evacuate during a wildfire. This includes evaluating evacuation routes and potential constraints, coordinating among emergency response agencies, and educating residents about evacuation zones, routes, and what to expect during an emergency.

Wildfire preparedness is an ongoing effort that extends beyond any single plan or project. Implementation requires coordination among the Golden Fire Department, other City departments, Jefferson County, neighboring jurisdictions, regional emergency response partners, land managers, community organizations, and Golden residents.

The 2026 CWPP rewrite will help establish the City's wildfire priorities for the coming years and provide a roadmap for turning planning into action. While that work is underway, the City continues to implement wildfire mitigation and preparedness initiatives identified through the existing CWPP and related planning efforts. The updated plan will build on that progress and help Golden continue adapting as wildfire risk, community needs, and best practices evolve.

Timeline

  • CWPP Project Launch: June 2026
  • Fall Outreach and Engagement: November 2026
  • Spring Outreach and Engagement: April–May 2027
  • CWPP Final Document Ready for Review: June 2027

Partners

Golden's CWPP process is being led by The Ember Alliance, a Colorado-based non-profit specializing in CWPP development. The CWPP would not be possible without the collaboration of the following partners:

  • Golden City Council
  • City of Golden
  • City of Golden Department of Public Works
  • City of Golden Forestry Program
  • City of Golden Parks and Recreation
  • Golden Police Department
  • Jefferson County Park and Open Space
  • Colorado State Forest Service
  • Clear Creek Watershed and Forest Health Partnership
  • City of Arvada Fire
  • West Metro Fire Protection District
  • Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
  • Stonebridge HOA

Community Engagement

  • Fall Community Meeting: CWPP Educational Presentation and Open House, November 9, 2026, 5–6 p.m., Upstairs Meeting Rooms at the Golden Community Center
  • Spring Community Meeting: TBD

Golden is nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains, mesas and grasslands, giving residents the convenience of urban life with almost immediate access to wildlands. Areas where homes and other development meet or intermingle with wildland vegetation are known as the wildland-urban interface (WUI). These areas present unique wildfire risks and require coordinated planning among property owners, the City, fire agencies, and regional partners.

CWPP Purpose

The Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is the City of Golden’s long-term framework for understanding wildfire risk and identifying actions that can help protect people, property, and natural resources. In 2026, the City of Golden is undertaking a comprehensive rewrite of the CWPP.

Background

Golden first adopted a CWPP in 2007 and completed a major update in 2021. The updated plan will build on the work completed since 2021 while incorporating new data, current wildfire science, updated mapping, and lessons learned from wildfire planning and response across the region. The process will also provide an opportunity to evaluate how wildfire risk has changed and identify priorities for future mitigation, preparedness, evacuation planning, and community education.

Goals

Golden's wildfire preparedness work focuses on three key strategies:

  • Mitigation: Reducing the likelihood that homes, other structures, and community assets will ignite during a wildfire. This includes home-hardening measures, defensible space, thoughtful landscaping and outdoor storage practices, vegetation management, and larger-scale mitigation projects on public and private lands.
  • Notification and Preparedness: Ensuring community members understand their wildfire risk, know how to prepare before an emergency, and can receive timely information when one occurs. Residents are encouraged to register for LookoutAlert Emergency Notifications and become familiar with other emergency preparedness resources listed on the City of Golden Wildfire Ready webpage.
  • Evacuation: Planning and coordinating how neighborhoods can safely evacuate during a wildfire. This includes evaluating evacuation routes and potential constraints, coordinating among emergency response agencies, and educating residents about evacuation zones, routes, and what to expect during an emergency.

Wildfire preparedness is an ongoing effort that extends beyond any single plan or project. Implementation requires coordination among the Golden Fire Department, other City departments, Jefferson County, neighboring jurisdictions, regional emergency response partners, land managers, community organizations, and Golden residents.

The 2026 CWPP rewrite will help establish the City's wildfire priorities for the coming years and provide a roadmap for turning planning into action. While that work is underway, the City continues to implement wildfire mitigation and preparedness initiatives identified through the existing CWPP and related planning efforts. The updated plan will build on that progress and help Golden continue adapting as wildfire risk, community needs, and best practices evolve.

Timeline

  • CWPP Project Launch: June 2026
  • Fall Outreach and Engagement: November 2026
  • Spring Outreach and Engagement: April–May 2027
  • CWPP Final Document Ready for Review: June 2027

Partners

Golden's CWPP process is being led by The Ember Alliance, a Colorado-based non-profit specializing in CWPP development. The CWPP would not be possible without the collaboration of the following partners:

  • Golden City Council
  • City of Golden
  • City of Golden Department of Public Works
  • City of Golden Forestry Program
  • City of Golden Parks and Recreation
  • Golden Police Department
  • Jefferson County Park and Open Space
  • Colorado State Forest Service
  • Clear Creek Watershed and Forest Health Partnership
  • City of Arvada Fire
  • West Metro Fire Protection District
  • Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
  • Stonebridge HOA

Community Engagement

  • Fall Community Meeting: CWPP Educational Presentation and Open House, November 9, 2026, 5–6 p.m., Upstairs Meeting Rooms at the Golden Community Center
  • Spring Community Meeting: TBD
Page published: 19 Oct 2026, 04:23 PM