Episode 2: House of Cards : The Institute for Science and Policy

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Episode 2: House of Cards

Staring into the fire.

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What does it mean to be resilient to wildfire?

How do we find the right balance between keeping ourselves safe, looking out for each other, and protecting the places we love? In this episode, we explore the Cameron Peak Fire’s three major runs – and their impact on communities throughout northern Colorado. With blazes of this scale and ferocity, we have hard choices to make. What risks are we willing to accept?

Photo Credit: David Wolf / Estes Valley Fire Protection District

Should you stay or go?

Jim and Annie Boyd live in a rural mountain community outside of Glen Haven. Jim designed and built their home on a hillside overlooking a sea of pine trees. It’s where he raised children, built his wife a greenhouse, and forged strong ties with his neighbors. So, when the Cameron Peak Fire tore through the National Forest and toward the Boyds’ property, Jim was ready to do whatever he could to protect it. Even if that meant risking himself.

“I love this home and our property. This has just been my life,” he says. “I didn't want to lose it if I didn't have to.”

“We will answer your call. But no one is coming.”

Estes Park Fire Chief David Wolf started in the fire service when he was 17, when he thought he was invincible. But today’s megafires have shown him that success has to be measured differently.

“We recognized that setting a goal of no loss of life was probably an unrealistic target, as much as we wanted that,” David explains. “Minimizing loss of life was probably the right metric to be striving for. Minimizing acreage burned, minimizing homes lost – not preventing all homes from being lost.”

In wildland firefighting, every decision comes with tradeoffs. But there’s one thing for certain: we can’t contain and extinguish every wildfire.

Photo Credit: David Wolf / Estes Valley Fire Protection District