BY
BY THE
BY THE WILDERNESS THAT PUTS OUR STATE ON THE MAT.
>> WITH ALL THAT COMES THE
RESPONSIBILITY THAT A LOT OF
PEOPLE OVERLOOK.
PEOPLE OVERLOOK. >> Reporter: IF YOU SIMPLY PASS
ALONG A 25 YOU MAY NOT EVEN
KNOW IT'S THERE AND PERHAPS
THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT SO
APPEALING.
APPEALING. >> YOU HAVE TREES AROUND YOU
AND A BIT OF SPACE THAT
SEPARATES NEIGHBORS FROM EACH
OTHER.>> Reporter: THE HAPPY
CANYON NEIGHBORHOOD SITS ALONG
THE EAST SIDE OF I 25 JUST
NORTH OF CASTLE ROCK.
200 HOMES OR SO NESTLED INTO
THE CANYON SURROUNDED BY BRUSH.
>> I DIDN'T WANT TO LIVE WHERE
I CAN REACH OUT MY WINDOW AND
TOUCH MY NEIGHBORS HOUSE.
>> Reporter: THE FEELING OF
SECLUSION WAS ENOUGH TO DRAW
BILL AND SANDRA HERE FROM
ALABAMA WHEN THEY WERE LOOKING
FOR SOMEWHERE TO RETIRE 10
YEARS AGO.
YEARS AGO. THAT, AND GRANDKIDS.
>> I INSTANTLY KNEW THIS WAS A
HOUSE.
HOUSE.
HOUSE. >>
HOUSE. >> Reporter: WHAT THESE TWO
GLADLY ADMIT THEY DIDN'T
INSTANTLY KNOW WAS THE RISK
THAT SURROUNDED THEM.
>> YOU WALK AROUND AND YOU SEE
THE TREES.
THE TREES. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE, AND WE
LOVE THEM, BUT WE ALSO REALIZE
THAT THE FIRE RISK IS PRETTY
HIGH.
HIGH.
HIGH. >>
HIGH. >> Reporter: IT TOOK HEADLINES
TO GET THEIR ATTENTION.
>> YOU WATCH 200 HOMES GETTING
DESTROYED IN THREE HOURS AND
THAT GET YOUR ATTENTION.
>> Reporter: BILL RITTER WAS
WATCHING THOSE IMAGES FROM THE
BLACK FOREST FIRE THINKING THIS
COULD HAPPEN HERE AND
FIREFIGHTERS TOLD HIM HE IS
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. >> I'VE HEARD IT WOULD BE A ONE-
DAY EVENT THAT WOULD MOVE VERY
RAPIDLY.
RAPIDLY.
RAPIDLY. >> Reporter: SOUTH METRO FIRE
CONSIDERS HAPPY CANYON ONE OF
THE HIGHEST RISKS FOR WILDFIRE
IN THE DISTRICT.
THE BRUSH SURROUNDING THE HOMES
MOSTLY GAMBLE OAK AND JUNIPER
WOULD BE POWERFUL FUEL IF A
FIRE SPARKED.
FIRE SPARKED. EVACUATING COULD BE A STRUGGLE.
>> ONLY ONE ROAD IN WHICH THE
ONLY ROAD OUT.
IT'S A TWO-LANE BLACKTOP ROAD
AND IT WOULD BE SERIOUS IF
PEOPLE IN A HURRY HAD TO ALL
USE THAT AS AN EXIT.
>> Reporter: HAPPY CANYON AS
PART OF THE WILDLAND URBAN
INTERFACE, THE PLACE WHERE THE
WILDERNESS MEETS HOMES AND
BUSINESSES. MORE THAN HALF OF
OUR STATE'S POPULATION LIVES
WITHIN THIS ZONE, THAT IS MORE
SUSCEPTIBLE TO FIRE NOW THAN IT
REALLY EVER HAS BEEN THANKS IN
PART TO THE GROWING POPULATION,
SICK OR UNHEALTHY FOREST AND
LONGER FIRE SEASONS.
>> PEOPLE ARE BUILDING WHERE WE
NEVER THOUGHT PEOPLE WOULD
BUILD.
BUILD.
BUILD. >>
BUILD. >> Reporter: STATE FORRESTER
MIKE LESTER SAYS IT'S TIME TO
START FOR FOCUSING MORE
RESOURCES ON THESE PROBLEMS AND
THE EASIEST PLACE TO START IS
THE HOMEOWNER.
THE HOMEOWNER. >> YOU CAN DO THINGS TO MAKE
THAT EXISTENCE A LOT SAFER BUT
IT IS EXPENSIVE AND MOST FOLKS
HAVE INVESTED IN A PLACE TO
LIVE AND SOMETIMES THAT IDEA
THAT WE NEED TO MANAGE OUR
DEFENSIBLE SPACE AROUND OUR
HOUSE, THAT CAN GET PUT OFF.
>> WHEN IT IS PILED UP LIKE
THAT LOW TO THE GROUND IT IS
FAR LESS LIKELY TO BURN HOT AND
LONG.
LONG.
LONG. >>
LONG. >> Reporter: BILL AND SANDRA
DID NOT PUT IT OFF AND WHEN
THEY REALIZE THE RISK, THEY
STARTED TO MITIGATE.
>> THE IDEA THAT THE CLOSER YOU
GET YOUR HOUSE, THE MORE YOU
WANT TO HAVE DEFENSIBLE SPACE.
>> Reporter: THEY SPENT SEVERAL
HOURS WE GOT HERE CHOPPING AND
PILING BRUSH AND BILL FIGURES
HE INVESTED ABOUT $1000 INTO
MITIGATION EACH YEAR MOSTLY
PAYING FOR A BOBCAT TO COME ON
HIS PROPERTY AND GRIND UP BRUSH
THAT HE IS CLEAR.
>> MY NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR HAS
USED THE SAME BOBCAT AND HE AND
I SHARE THE BILL.
>> Reporter: HIS WORK HAS
CAUGHT ON.
CAUGHT ON. >> HIS PROPERTY AND MY PROPERTY
AND THIS PROPERTY NOW ARE
CONTINUOUSLY WORKING ON FIRE
MITIGATION.
MITIGATION. >> Reporter: THEY SAY NOT
EVERYONE HERE TAKES THIS AS
SERIOUSLY AS THEY DO.
>> NOT EVERYBODY AND HAPPY
CANYON FEELS IT'S NECESSARY TO
DO FIRE MITIGATION OR
PARTICIPATE IN DRILLS.
>> Reporter: LESTER SAYS IF YOU
WANT TO DO THIS SUCCESSFULLY,
YOU REALLY NEED EVERYONE ON
BOARD.>> WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DO
DEFENSIBLE SPACE? IT INCREASES
THE PROBABILITY THAT YOUR HOME
WOULD SURVIVE A WILDLAND FIRE.
IF YOUR NEIGHBOR DOES IT, IT
INCREASES A LITTLE MORE IN YOUR
OTHER NEIGHBOR DOES IT
INCREASES EVEN MORE.
>> Reporter: THE KEY HE SAYS IS
GETTING OUT OF THAT DANGEROUS
MINDSET THINKING IT WON'T
HAPPEN HERE.
HAPPEN HERE. >> HURRICANE KATRINA IS AN
EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THIS THAT
YOU CAN BE COMPLACENT FOR A
LONG TIME INKING THE STORM IS
NEVER GOING TO COME AND THERE'S
OTHER THINGS YOU NEED TO DO,
BUT WHEN IT COMES, IT'S TOO
LATE TO DO THE WORK THEN.
THE TIME TO DO THE WORK IS
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. >> BILL AND SANDRA HAVE DONE
THE WORK AND THEY WILL TELL
YOU, THERE IS COMFORT IN
CARING.
CARING.
CARING. >> WE SEE THE IMAGES AND WE
THINK, THAT COULD BE US, BUT I
ALSO HAVE SOME SECURITY KNOWING
THAT WE HAVE DONE A WHOLE LOT.
>> RATHER THAN LIE AWAKE
WORRYING ABOUT THAT I THINK
DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT HAS
REDUCED CONCERNS THAT WOULD'VE