Late last month, many around Boulder County felt that all too familiar sense of dread when we saw smoke rising from the foothills to our north. For some, that dread was grounded in a fear for friends or family or even for their own home. For others, it was likely a harrowing reminder of the devastation of the Marshall Fire. And for all, it was yet more evidence of how our environment is changing and wildfires are getting ever closer to our lives.

And that was before the second plume of smoke along the Front Range. And the third. And the fourth. And the fire that sparked on the Western Slope.

It began on July 29 when the Alexander Mountain Fire was first reported in the foothills west of Loveland. The next day, the Stone Canyon Fire was reported just north of Lyons in Boulder County. Later that evening, the Quarry Fire was sparked in Jefferson County. Twenty-four hours later, the Lakeshore Fire was reported near Gross Reservoir. And shortly after that, the Bucktail Fire in Montrose County was raging.

Two weeks after it began, the Alexander Mountain Fire was nearing full containment (as of this writing) after burning nearly 10,000 acres. The Stone Canyon Fire burned 1,500 acres and five homes and was responsible for one death. After burning 600 acres, the Quarry Fire is 100% contained but expected to smolder for another month. The Lakeshore Fire, unlike the other big fires, was quickly gotten under control by fire crews. Finally, the Bucktail Fire has burned more than 7,000 acres and is only 33% contained.

It is a laundry list of devastation. Most tragic, of course, is the loss of life. But the fact of the matter is, these fires could have been much worse were it not for the incredible actions of our firefighters, first responders and everyone involved at Boulder’s Office of Disaster Management.

The work put in by firefighters at each of these fires is tremendous. Not only is it inherently dangerous, but it is extremely arduous — and it doesn’t end until the fire is contained. Every firefighter involved in combating these blazes deserves praise. Send them thanks. Buy them a beer. And support ballot measures that provide resources to make their jobs easier.

In addition to the front-line firefighters, there is a whole village of people involved in fighting a fire.

According to Mike Chard, the director of Boulder’s Office of Disaster Management, it starts with those who work at the 911 dispatch center who, when a blaze breaks out, must not only help with a flood of fire calls and push out evacuation orders to the community but must also continue handling issues around the city. Then there are the police officers who go door to door to help with evacuations and address traffic congestion. There are all the staff at the ODM who are responsible for coordinating the overall disaster response — operating the emergency operations center, working with incident commanders on the ground, and everything in between. And finally, there are the individuals who work in Emergency Support Functions who have a normal day job in “blue sky” times, but when called into action can be responsible for setting up a shelter for evacuees (both human and pet) or getting a van or bus to an individual who might need additional help evacuating, among all sorts of other roles.

All told it is a herculean effort. Our gratitude for these individuals, who often work 18-hour days when a fire is burning, is immense.

But along with expressing our appreciation, now is also a time to reflect on how we as a community can do our part when a wildfire breaks out in Boulder County.

This reflection is vital because our environment is undoubtedly changing and these sorts of fires appear likely to become more common.

Mitigation, of course, is the start. And on this front, Boulder has done good work so far, primarily by investing our tax dollars.

“According to FEMA, every dollar you invest in mitigation, you save $9 in response,” Chard said in an interview. From fuel management to home hardening to the ways we’re designing our communities, mitigation can help us decrease our vulnerabilities, Chard explained.

A lot of this work is underway, thanks in part to our approval of county ballot measure 1A, which created a dedicated sales tax for wildfire mitigation. This work, though, has to continue. And, Chard said, we have to adapt as our environment changes.

But once a fire starts, the best thing we can do to help our firefighters and first responders is to be prepared. Not only does being prepared — having a “grab list” or a “go bag” and knowing evacuation routes — help keep us safe, but it also allows first responders to allocate their limited resources to help others.

Another way to be prepared, Chard explained, was simply to be a good neighbor. Know who has kids at home waiting for mom and dad to be off work, or if there is a senior across the street, or if someone has a mobility challenge.

Finally, it is important to remember that most fires are human-caused. The Alexander Mountain Fire, the Stone Canyon Fire, the Quarry Fire, and the Lakeshore Fire are all suspected of being human-caused.

That means we can and must do our part to follow all the appropriate rules during heightened fire risk times. (Boulder has year-round fire restrictions.)

“We need to understand our role and pay more attention to our behaviors and in our habits, especially when we have drought conditions, high winds, things like that,” Chard said.

The onus is on us — this community — to play our part in preventing, mitigating and preparing for wildfires. Our firefighters and first responders and everyone involved in emergency management will always do everything in their power to protect our community. But responding to a changing climate and a changing environment along the Front Rage is all of our responsibility.

So, let’s continue investing in mitigation, let’s harden our homes, let’s make emergency plans, and let’s do everything in our power to not start a fire when conditions are ripe. Protecting our community takes a community.

— Gary Garrison for the Editorial Board