Isoterics Features CCFM LLC–
Sharing Fire Mitigation, Impactful Forestry Practices and Becoming Wildfire Resilient
We’re excited to share a consulting and wildfire mitigation removal agency’s story, as well as the impact and difference they’re making in Southwest Colorado.
Coronado Consulting and Fire Mitigation LLC is a women-owned, minority-owned (Mescalero Apache Tribe) tree removal agency that specifically dedicates their business to keeping their community wildfire resilient.
About the CCFM Changemakers
Robert & Danielle Coronado both became involved with fire mitigation and the tree work industry at different points in their life.
Robert started his fire career about 11 years ago, right out of high school as a Type 2 FF on an initial attack hand crew. He learned about fire behavior, fuel loading, topography, environmental impacts on fire intensity, fire operations, and much more. It was more of a direct exposure to active fire and response as opposed to prevention and mitigation.
Danielle, on the other hand, took the healthcare route followed by a continued education in Emergency Management. During her EM program, her learnings of prevention and mitigation measures for all disasters, including wildfire, grew significantly. Through her studies, she was exposed to all aspects of disaster, preparedness, prevention, response, recovery, and mitigation.
After a few years passed, and after adding to their professional work experiences, they decided to channel their individual skill sets into a business of their own. Fast forward to August 2019, Coronado Consulting & Fire Mitigation LLC was established.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your day-to-day tasks?
In tree work, we’ve faced a variety of different challenges. We’ve seen challenges that are probably obvious to most tree work stakeholders, such as funding and lack of access to vegetation disposal. But we also face environmental challenges such as lack of moisture, stressed forests, overgrown vegetation that has not previously been treated, and the infamous beetle epidemic that’s killing the forests quicker than any organization can keep up with.
Aside from the obvious challenges, we’re also seeing a lack of education directly related to forest management within our area. Many people within the community don’t fully understand why we do what we do and the meaning behind it. Although we do our best to educate others on the importance of our work and continually share educational posts via social media threads, we’re only able to reach a small percentage of our local population.
There is a wealth of non-government organizations in our area that operate to promote the education side of our efforts, but the issue of reaching the full community still remains.
What is the best piece of advice you give homeowners to protect against wildfire?
There’s definitely a lot of resources out there in regards to Wildfire information. The more that one can educate themselves, the better off they will be when it comes to homeowners protecting their assets against wildfire.
In addition, for every client that we work with we always conduct a site assessment. Site assessments allow us to hear the client’s tree service needs while we provide recommendations regarding wildfire and mitigation issues we see.
Here are some common recommendations we provide to make your home wildfire resilient: Metal roofing, non-flammable home siding, proper deck material, metal mesh, and knowing your home’s ignition zones 1-3.
How often should homeowners and the public be concerned with mitigation?
Every year! The hazard is not going away. Mitigation is a continued effort rather than a one and done project and vegetation grows back so it is important to stay on top of this type of work.
What is the proper way to remove a beetle-kill infested tree that still has live beetles in it?
Felling and removing slash by burning, or hauling infested vegetation away to a designated zone away from forests and other healthy trees.
Treat the woody material usually by covering it in plastic, fastening the edges of the plastic and ensuring the material is staged in a location that receives a ton of sun in order to kill the beetles (i.e. “solar treatment”).
Don’t store materials under or near other healthy trees.
If the slash is chipped, we’ve learned that generally beetle reproduction is low if the chips are broadcast in a location away from healthy trees/forests. If the beetle is isolated and has no other host to infiltrate it will naturally die out.
What is the most impactful mitigation project you’ve worked on?
The 2020-current Wildfire Adapted Partnership (WAP) coordinated a CSFS grant for the Forest Lakes subdivision in La Plata County, Colorado to conduct residential mitigation.
Some information from the subdivision’s CWPP 2011 included these stats: Largest subdivision in SW Colorado, 1,865 acres with over 1600 parcels, and one of the highest levels of risk for wildfire.
Stakeholders who developed the CWPP calculated that if wildfire were to reach the Forest Lakes subdivision, the entire subdivision would be engulfed by fire within 2 hours.
Conclusion
Overall, CCFM and team are passionate and directly involved with their work. You can find them on the ground or behind the saws in all their projects. They also develop future fellers and mitigation workers through on the job training and instruction that they provide.
If you’re in the Southwest Colorado area looking for mitigation or tree removal advice please reach out to CCFM linked here:
https://www.ccfmllc.com/
