With three major forest fires blowing up along the Front Range this spring and summer, Boulder County suddenly became the grizzled old wildfire veteran dispensing advice and passing along tips on how to handle disaster recovery.
Officials from Boulder County have met multiple times with officials from El Paso, Larimer and Jefferson counties to discuss how to deal with the aftermath of the deadly Waldo Canyon, High Park and Lower North Fork fires.
Boulder County has been in recovery mode from the Fourmile Fire, which destroyed 169 homes and burned 6,200 acres in the foothills west of Boulder, for nearly two years. The second anniversary of the fire's start is Thursday.
Fourmile Fire recovery manager Garry Sanfacon said he is stressing with his counterparts the major lessons learned from the blaze, which began Sept. 6, 2010, after a recently extinguished fire pit in Emerson Gulch reignited in high winds.
Listening to the victims and understanding what their needs are comes first, Sanfacon said, followed by a clear message from the local governing body that it is in the victims' corner.
Next, officials should provide a single point of contact for survivors, whether it's a recovery manager or another position that meets that need.
"They don't want to navigate a large organization and try to find out where to get answers," he said.
Be prepared to provide detailed information on dealing with insurance companies and claims, Sanfacon said. Bringing in a policyholder advocacy group, like United Policyholders, to coach and assure victims can be a powerful tool.
"That's the No. 1 obstacle to people moving forward in their recovery," he said.
And don't expect to have things wrapped up in jiffy. Beyond the fire itself, there will be flooding hazards and other fire-related complications for years to come.
"You need to be prepared as an organization to be in it for the long haul," Sanfacon said. "You're not going to get it solved in six months or a year."
El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark said Boulder County's involvement with the Waldo Canyon Fire recovery has provided her and her colleagues with a "great framework" for dealing with Colorado's most destructive wildfire, which killed two, destroyed 346 homes and caused more than $350 million in insured losses.
The recovery from the Waldo Canyon Fire, she said, is a bit more complicated than what Boulder County faced with the Fourmile Fire because Waldo's footprint spans three municipalities and unincorporated El Paso County. But she said she appreciates the help.
"Boulder County is helpful in giving the support people need from an emotional standpoint, from an insurance standpoint and to mitigate against floods before they happen," she said.
Linda Hoffman, Larimer County manager, said she was told by state officials that she had to "get in touch with Boulder County because they're the ones that have done it right" when it comes to wildfire recovery. The High Park Fire burned more than 87,000 acres and torched 259 homes in June. One woman died.
One piece of advice Hoffman is taking from Sanfacon is to hire a dedicated fire recovery manager. On Friday, she interviewed several candidates for the position, which will be in place for a year.
"You just can't do a good job of keeping all the balls in the air if you have too many people trying to catch them," Hoffman said. "You need one central person."
Michelle Krezek, the Boulder County commissioners' deputy, said Boulder County initially made the mistake of trying to handle the aftermath of the Fourmile Fire with department heads.
"That didn't really work, so we hired Garry," she said. "Get somebody in right away -- don't try to manage it yourself."
Fourmile Fire survivor Andi O'Conor, who recently moved into her newly rebuilt home on Left Fork Road, praised the assistance Sanfacon gave to victims during the recovery process. Having a single person at the county to talk to about problems and challenges, she said, was "critical."
"He is a lifesaver," O'Conor said.