(COLORADO SPRINGS) —Colorado Springs Utilities (Springs Utilities) released its formal Wildfire Mitigation Plan on Tuesday, March 25, to combat the increasing wildfire risk across the area.

The plan builds on decades of strategy and prevention, drawing from the established vegetation management and the organization’s in-house Wildland Fire Team, and focusing on three primary areas: risk assessment, risk mitigation, and situational awareness. The goal is to protect life and property, preserve electric system reliability, protecte water resources, and keep forests healthy.

“As a four-service utility, many of the resources we depend on for drinking water and electricity are located in challenging terrain outside the immediate city limits,” said Somer Mese, Chief Operations Officer. “These vital resources are often surrounded by vegetation and wildlife and are subject to harsh weather conditions – all of which can increase the risk of damage to our electric equipment and feed large, fast-spreading wildfires.”

According to the plan, Springs Utilities will take steps such as using in-house drones to get a 360-degree view of at-risk vegetation areas, identify at-risk equipment based on proximity to vegetation and other hazards, and investigate wildfire modeling software to help with mitigation planning.

Springs Utilities has budgeted the following amounts to prevention programs in 2025:

3.2 million to support the organization’s vegetation management program

$612,000 for system-hardening projects

$3.5 million annually from 2026-2029 for system improvement projects

$2 million annually on forest health and wildfire mitigation projects near watersheds and water reservoirs