By Allison G. S. Knox
Edge Contributor
The recent wildfires in Louisville, Colorado, are unbelievably devastating. Cul-de-sac communities that once looked like happy neighborhoods have been ravaged by the disaster, and some neighborhoods were completely obliterated by the fires. Other neighborhoods had streets with some homes still standing, while their neighbors were literally left with nothing.
It is hard to imagine what losing an entire home and its contents would feel like. Such a disaster also causes the public to contemplate what the community could have done differently to prevent such a disaster from happening, especially since the community resources and manpower are exhausted by the recovery and rebuilding efforts.
Cul-De-Sac Communities Are Particularly Vulnerable during Wildfires
When we have serious disasters like the one that recently occurred in Colorado, a knee-jerk reaction by the general public is to reevaluate whether the design of the community is still a good idea. Are we setting communities up for failure by placing homes too close together?
For many homeowners, cul-de-sac communities are wonderful, close-knit neighborhoods to raise a family or to buy a house. Many homes often keep their home values years after purchase, and some homes continue to increase in value.
But from a fire safety standpoint, cul-de-sac neighborhoods can be more vulnerable to fires. The closer homes are together, the more easily a wildfire can spread between them. Fires typically thrive as long as fuel, oxygen and heat are present. In the recent Colorado fires, the winds from the wildfires reached about 115 mph and further worsened the damage caused by the fires.
Analyzing the Fire Risk of Cul-De-Sac Neighborhoods
While there may be a knee-jerk reaction to evaluate cul-de-sac community designs, we need to remember that risk analysis is an important part of emergency management and emergency preparedness operations. There are millions of cul-de-sac communities throughout the United States, and not all of them experience major wildfires. A particular community may never see another wildfire again, or perhaps it may see a smaller, less damaging wildfire.
Fire safety is always an important factor to consider in urban planning. But a risk analysis can show that while certain neighborhoods may have a higher incidence of wildfires, this isn’t enough to completely eliminate popular cul-de-sac communities.
Ultimately, we need to consider how these types of communities can be affected by disasters and plan accordingly. In addition, after-action reports on the Colorado wildfires should offer recommendations for preventing future incidents in cul-de-sac communities. For instance:
- What mechanisms could have changed this wildfire disaster for the better?
- Would fire breaks have saved the Colorado communities?
- Could any damage have been prevented?
Fire safety and emergency management professionals should research the Colorado wildfires and make recommendations for preventing these types of incidents, especially in cul-de-sac communities. We know that disasters will continue to happen, but the more we utilize risk analysis and preventative measures, the more resilient and safer our communities will become.
Comments are closed.