Board-up and tarping after a fire in Colorado Springs

Firefighting is rough on a building by design. To reach the fire and let out heat and smoke, crews break windows, force doors, pull ceilings and sometimes cut holes through the roof. Those actions save houses, but they also leave openings everywhere. Glass may be gone from several windows, the front door may not lock, and the roof may have a hole above the room that burned.

An open house is exposed to three problems. Weather comes in: snow, rain and wind add water damage to rooms that only had smoke damage. Animals and birds come in. And people come in, whether curious neighbors, scrappers looking for copper or anyone looking for something to take. Securing the property stops all three and protects whatever can still be cleaned and restored.

Most homeowners policies include a duty to protect property from further damage after a loss. Insurers generally expect reasonable steps, such as covering openings, and they may question new damage that happened because the house was left open. Board-up and tarping are usually among the first jobs after a fire for that reason.

Colorado Springs weather changes quickly, and that matters for a damaged house. Strong westerly winds come down off the mountains, especially in winter and spring, and can lift poorly fastened tarps and plywood. Hail is common in late spring and summer thunderstorms along the Front Range. Snow can fall from autumn into late spring, and a single storm can drop a heavy load onto a roof that has already lost part of its decking.

That is why local crews anchor tarps under battens and extend them over the ridge where they can, rather than relying on sandbags or tires, and why they use screws rather than nails on plywood. It is also why a secured house should be checked after each storm or high-wind day until permanent repairs begin. Ask the contractor who will check the property and how you will be told if something has moved.

After a wildfire, houses that survived near burned ones often have broken windows from heat, scorched siding, damaged vents and roofs pocked by embers. In neighborhoods like Mountain Shadows after the Waldo Canyon Fire, many homes that were not destroyed still needed securing and cleaning. ^[4] Access may be restricted for days while officials check roads, utilities and hazards.

Once access opens, boarding broken windows and covering roof damage keeps ash, wind and weather out while cleanup is arranged. Utilities may be off; after Waldo Canyon, Colorado Springs Utilities restored gas to thousands of undamaged homes one by one, checking meters and relighting pilots. Plan board-up work around those visits so crews can get in.

Securing the property is usually considered part of mitigating further damage, and many policies treat reasonable emergency protection as part of the claim. Keep invoices, photos and the contractor's list of what was covered. Tell your insurer that the house has been secured and by whom.

If the insurer wants to see conditions before the house is covered, photographs and video taken before board-up usually satisfy that need. Do not delay securing the house while waiting for an adjuster visit if weather is coming. The guide working with your insurance adjuster explains documentation in more detail.

Securing openings is the first step in protecting contents. Once the house is closed up, belongings that can be saved should be moved away from wet or sooty areas, and anything that needs specialist cleaning can be packed out. Interior openings such as holes in ceilings into the attic may be covered with plastic sheeting to keep insulation and debris from falling into the rooms below.

If firefighting water is still present, drying should start as soon as the house is secure, because a closed, wet house invites mold. That work is described on water damage from firefighting, and the movement of belongings is covered on contents pack-out and cleaning.

Attached garages are a common starting point for house fires, and detached garages, barns and sheds are common on larger lots in places like Black Forest. A burned garage often has a jammed overhead door, broken windows and a damaged roof, and the shared wall with the house may be compromised. Securing it matters because it often gives direct access to the house.

Fuel cans, propane cylinders, pool chemicals and batteries stored in a garage can be damaged by heat. Leave them where they are, tell the contractor and fire department about them, and follow local guidance for disposal rather than moving them yourself.

A few things make securing a house easier if it ever has to happen: knowing where your main water, gas and electrical shut-offs are; keeping copies of insurance documents and a home inventory outside the house; and, in the wildland-urban interface, following the city's guidance on ignition-resistant construction and defensible space so that a nearby wildfire is less likely to break windows and ignite the structure. ^[7]

Ready.gov and the NFPA both recommend that households plan for fires in advance, with working smoke alarms, two ways out of each room and a meeting place outside. ^[6] These plans are aimed at safety, not property, but a family that leaves quickly and safely is the first priority in any fire.

Board-up and tarping are temporary by design. Plywood over windows and doors can stay for months if fastened well and checked, but tarps degrade in strong sun and wind, and the sun at Colorado Springs' elevation is intense. A tarp that looked secure in October may be shredded by March. Ask the contractor how long their tarp is expected to last and when it should be replaced if roof repairs are delayed.

If permanent repairs will take a long time, for example while an insurance claim is settled or plans are approved, consider a more durable temporary roof covering with plywood decking and heavy tarp or temporary membrane, and schedule regular checks.

Before anyone boards a window, broken glass has to be dealt with. Shards left in frames can fall when plywood is fastened, and glass scattered on the ground, in flower beds and on decks is a hazard for children, pets and the crew. Contractors usually clear loose glass from frames, sweep the immediate area and bag the debris before fastening plywood. Tempered glass from patio doors breaks into small cubes that spread widely and need careful cleanup.

Fire debris on the ground around the house, such as fallen gutters, burned siding and roofing, can be left for the cleanup and rebuild stage unless it blocks access or is a hazard. Ask the contractor what they will clear during board-up and what will wait. Do not burn debris on the property or dump ashes outdoors; Colorado Springs' dry grass and wind spread fire quickly, as the 2022 grass fire that forced about 500 homes in Stetson Hills to evacuate showed.

Some openings need more than a sheet of plywood. Skylights are on the roof, often above the room that burned, and a broken or heat-damaged skylight is effectively a hole in the roof. It is usually covered from above with plywood and then tarped along with the surrounding roof. Large picture windows and sliding patio doors need plywood sized to span the whole opening and fastened into solid framing around it, because a large panel catches a lot of wind.

Where a slider is still in its track but the glass is cracked, the contractor may cover it on the outside and leave it closed, or remove the panel and board the opening. Either way, make sure at least one door remains usable so you, the contractor and your adjuster can get in.

Snow is a real concern on fire-damaged roofs along the Front Range. Wet spring snow is heavy, and a roof that has lost decking or has weakened rafters may not carry it. Tarps alone do not carry snow; they only shed water. Where a roof opening is large, contractors often install plywood decking over sound framing before tarping, so the covered area can carry snow and shed it without the tarp sagging into the hole and filling with water.

After a storm, check from the ground for sagging, ponding on tarps or snow sliding off in one spot. Do not climb onto the roof to clear snow; call the contractor if something looks wrong.

When a house is severely damaged, boarding openings may not be enough. Collapsed sections, exposed foundations, debris piles and open basements are hazards for anyone who walks onto the lot, including children. Temporary construction fencing around the property keeps people out, signals that the site is being managed, and gives crews a secure work area. Ask the contractor whether fencing is advisable for your house and how it will be anchored against wind.