# What It Takes to Save a Town from Wildfire

> A Colorado town's wildfire survival depends on community-wide fire-resistant measures and insurance reforms.
- Title: What It Takes to Save a Town from Wildfire · The New Yorker
- Summary: A Colorado town's wildfire survival depends on community-wide fire-resistant measures and insurance reforms.
- Keywords: boulder, marshall fire, wildfire mitigation, fire-resistant homes, community fire safety, insurance premiums, wildland-urban interface, wui, firewise, i.b.h.s., dixon trail, ember shields
- Source: The New Yorker — https://newyorker.com/magazine/2026/11/16/what-it-takes-to-save-a-town-from-wildfire
- Author: Eric Klinenberg
- Published: 2026-11-09T11:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: boulder, marshall fire, wildfire mitigation, fire-resistant homes, community fire safety, insurance premiums, wildland-urban interface, wui, firewise, i.b.h.s., dixon trail, ember shields
## Larry Donner's Move to Safety
Larry Donner, a retired fire chief, moved from Boulder to Louisville, Colorado, in 1991 to avoid wildfire risks.
## Donner's Fire-Resistant Home
Donner installed fire-resistant siding, a Class A roof, and cleared vegetation around his house to protect it from wildfires.
## 2021 Wildfire Conditions
In 2021, wet springs and dry falls created grasses four or five feet tall, turning into a 'field of matchsticks, chest high' that fueled wildfires.
## The Marshall Fire Ignites
On December 30th, 2021, a windstorm ignited the Marshall Fire, spreading rapidly across dry grassland at the speed of wind.
## Donner's Home Burns
Donner and his wife saw their home burn after embers entered the attic through unshielded vents, destroying the house top-down.
## Wildfire Spread to Suburbs
The Marshall Fire destroyed over a thousand structures, including homes in Louisville, Colorado, and left many residents with uninhabitable smoke-damaged properties.
## Fire Ecologist's Warning
Jennifer Balch, a fire ecologist, explains that wildfires in the wildland-urban interface (wui) spread like infectious diseases, requiring community-wide protection for herd immunity.
## Fast Fires Cause More Damage
Fast-growing wildfires, which account for almost ninety per cent of structures damaged, are becoming more common in the West due to climate change.
## Insurance Crisis in Fire Zones
Insurance premiums for homes in high-risk areas have soared, with many residents forced to rely on state-run FAIR plans with limited coverage.
## Nancy Watkins' Mitigation Project
Nancy Watkins, an insurance actuary, led a community-wide fire mitigation project to reduce wildfire risks and improve insurance affordability.
## Dixon Trail Community
Dixon Trail, a new development in San Diego, meets I.B.H.S. wildfire preparedness standards with fire-resistant landscaping and structures.
## Fire-Resistant Home Features
Fire-resistant homes include double-paned windows, metal gutters, ember shields, and a five-foot perimeter free of vegetation.
## Community Mitigation Challenges
Achieving herd immunity in neighborhoods requires eighty-five per cent compliance with fire safety measures, which is difficult without financial incentives.
## Berkeley's EMBER Ordinance
Berkeley implemented the EMBER ordinance, requiring a five-foot ember-resistant buffer around buildings and six feet of clearance between roofs and trees.
## Boulder's Land Management
Boulder uses grazing and mowing to manage grasslands, creating fire-resistant perimeters up to one hundred feet from homes.
## Community Resilience After Fire
Tawnya Somauroo rebuilt her home with fire-resistant features and formed a community Slack group to share resources during recovery.
## Key takeaway

Boulder's Marshall Fire destroyed homes, but community-led fire mitigation and insurance innovations show how neighborhoods can become wildfire-resistant.