Black Forest fire and smoke damage restoration

The Black Forest Fire started on the afternoon of June 11, 2013, near Highway 83 and Shoup Road. ^[3] Hot, dry and windy weather drove it through the ponderosa pine forest and into neighborhoods of homes on large wooded lots. About 35,500 people were evacuated. Two people died. When the fire was contained around June 20, it had burned more than 14,000 acres. Counts of homes destroyed ranged from 486 to 511 depending on the source and date; the county sheriff's final report in 2014 put the figure at 489. Investigators ruled out natural causes but could not determine exactly how it started.

The fire came less than a year after the Waldo Canyon Fire on the other side of the city, and it surpassed Waldo Canyon as the most destructive fire in state history at the time. For Black Forest residents, it reshaped the community: some lots were rebuilt quickly, others stood empty for years, and the burned forest left open, grassy areas where dense pine once stood.

As in Waldo Canyon, the damage was not limited to houses that burned. Homes that survived were often filled with smoke and ash, had heat damage on the side facing the fire, and had outbuildings, fences and vehicles damaged or destroyed. Restoration after that kind of event is mostly about wildfire smoke damage, exterior repair and contents cleaning rather than rebuilding interiors.

Black Forest is unincorporated: it is part of El Paso County, not the City of Colorado Springs, and residents voted against incorporating in 2006. ^[2] That affects several things after a fire. City programs and city-specific fire code requirements do not automatically apply; fire protection comes from a local fire protection district; and county rules govern land use. Building permits in much of El Paso County, including unincorporated areas, are handled by the regional building department, so repair permitting works similarly to the city.

Most of the planning area was zoned for five-acre minimum lots in 1965, so homes are spread out, often set well back from the road on long gravel or dirt driveways, and surrounded by trees. Many properties have wells and septic systems rather than city water and sewer, propane tanks rather than piped gas, and detached garages, barns, workshops and sheds. Wood stoves and fireplaces are common, and many homes use wood siding, log construction or exposed timber.

Wood heat is part of life in the forest, and so is the occasional stove or chimney problem. A downdraft on a windy day, a damper left closed, wet or green wood, a creosote build-up or a chimney fire can push soot into a room in minutes. The soot from a wood stove is usually dry and flaky but can be oily if the fire smoldered. It settles on ceilings, walls and furnishings near the stove and can spread through the house if the furnace runs.

The fix has two parts: correct the cause and clean the room. Have the stove, flue and chimney inspected and repaired before relighting; a chimney fire can crack flue liners and damage nearby framing. Then clean the room using the dry-first approach described on the soot removal page, paying attention to wood ceilings and walls, which absorb residue.

Many Black Forest properties have more square footage in outbuildings than in the house. Barns, workshops and garages store vehicles, fuel, equipment, hay, feed and household overflow. A fire in one of them can be intense and smoky, and it can threaten the house and the forest. Even when an outbuilding fire does not spread, smoke can enter the house if it is nearby and downwind.

Restoration of outbuildings follows the same principles as the house but often with more replacement and less cleaning, since many structures are uninsulated and unfinished. Stored items need sorting into restorable and not; fuel, chemicals, batteries and propane cylinders need careful handling. Livestock feed and hay exposed to smoke and heat should be checked before use.

Rural fire protection often relies on water brought in by tanker trucks, so the volume of water used inside a house may be lower than in the city, but it still soaks floors and lower levels. Drying works the same way: extraction, removal of materials that cannot dry, and dehumidification. See water damage from firefighting.

Wells and septic systems are a local concern. Heat can damage wellhead equipment, pressure tanks and electrical controls, and heavy equipment driven across a lot can damage a septic field. Ask contractors to plan truck access with the septic location in mind, and have the well checked and the water tested if there is any doubt after a fire.

Because Black Forest is outside the city limits, the city's own wildland-urban interface ordinance does not apply in the same way. County land-use rules and regional building codes do, and the fire protection district may have its own recommendations. Many residents rebuilt after 2013 with more fire-resistant roofs, siding and decks, even where not strictly required.

For repairs, ask your contractor which permits apply and whether they work regularly in the county. Long driveways, gates, steep grades and soft ground in spring can affect when and how equipment can reach the house; mention these on the call.

Large-lot properties raise particular claim questions: outbuildings, fences, landscaping, trees, vehicles and equipment may fall under different parts of a policy, or under separate policies. Keep a list of structures and equipment on the property, with photos, before anything happens. After a loss, document all of them, not just the house.

Colorado's Division of Insurance has published guidance for policyholders affected by wildfires, covering living expense coverage, policy copies and contents inventories. The guide working with your insurance adjuster covers preparation for the adjuster's visit.

Inside, Black Forest homes have a lot of wood: paneling, beams, tongue-and-groove ceilings, log walls and wood floors. Wood is beautiful but porous, and smoke residue and odor settle into it readily, especially into rough-sawn or unsealed surfaces. Cleaning starts with HEPA vacuuming and dry soot sponges, working along the grain, followed by cleaners suited to the finish. Where residue has soaked into raw wood, light sanding and refinishing, or sealing with a clear or tinted odor-blocking product, may be needed.

Many homes also have large windows facing the trees, vaulted great rooms and lofts, which let smoke rise and gather at the highest points. Contractors often need scaffolding or tall ladders for these spaces. Forced-air systems are common, though some homes also use radiant or wood heat, and every system should be checked for residue. The smoke damage cleanup and odor removal pages describe the general methods.

Black Forest properties are spread out, and that affects logistics. Crews and equipment have to travel farther, driveways may be long and unpaved, gates and cattle guards may limit large trucks, and spring snowmelt can leave dirt roads soft. A board-up crew, a drying crew and a pack-out truck each need a plan for getting in and turning around without damaging the driveway, landscaping or septic field.

Power is another consideration. Drying equipment and air scrubbers draw a lot of electricity, and if the house's power is off or limited, contractors may need generators. Mention on the call whether power is on, where the panel is, and whether there is space near the house to park equipment.

In the years after the fire, Black Forest rebuilt slowly and unevenly. Some owners rebuilt on the same footprint within a year or two; others sold, and some lots remained empty for a long time. Burned areas that once held dense pine now have open grass and young trees, which changes fire behavior: grass fires move faster but burn less intensely than crown fires in mature pine. Mitigation work by residents and the county, such as thinning, removing ladder fuels and clearing around homes, has been a long-running effort.

For restoration contractors, that history means a mix of houses: original homes that survived, sometimes with old smoke damage that was never fully addressed, and rebuilt homes with newer materials and systems. When a house has been through a previous smoke event, a contractor may find old residue in attics or ducts during a new job.

South of Black Forest, the city's newer north and east side neighborhoods have a very different housing stock and grass-fire rather than forest-fire risk; Stetson Hills is one example. On the west side, Mountain Shadows is the other community most shaped by a major local wildfire.

After a wildfire, trees near the house may be scorched, weakened at the base or dead even if they still stand. A tree that burned at the roots can fall without warning, which is a danger to people, vehicles and the house itself. Before restoration crews stage equipment under trees or work around the house, have trees near buildings and driveways assessed. Removing hazard trees is often one of the first jobs on a burned forest lot.

Healthy trees that survived should be protected during restoration and rebuilding. Heavy equipment can compact soil and damage roots, so agree with contractors where vehicles and dumpsters will go.